Ben sez:

“Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.”

Which one did you pick?

(You know, you can do both!)

On July 4th, 1776, (245 years ago),

The Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Continental Congress declaring that the thirteen American colonies regarded themselves as a new nation, The United States of America, (and no longer part of the British Empire).

During the American Revolution, the legal separation of the Thirteen Colonies from Great Britain actually occurred on July 2, 1776, when the Second Continental Congress voted to approve a resolution of independence that had been proposed in June by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia declaring the United States independent from Great Britain rule.

After voting for independence, Congress turned its attention to the Declaration of Independence, a statement explaining this decision, which had been prepared by a Committee of Five, with Thomas Jefferson as its principal author.
Congress debated and revised the wording of the Declaration, finally approving it on July 4th.

John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail:

“…this will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.”

Coincidentally, both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, the only signers of the Declaration of Independence later to serve as Presidents of the United States, died on the same day: July 4, 1826, which was the 50th anniversary of the Declaration.

Although not a signer of the Declaration of Independence, but another Founding Father who became a President, James Monroe, died on July 4, 1831, thus becoming the third President in a row who died on the holiday. Calvin Coolidge, the 30th President, was born on July 4, 1872, and, so far, is the only U.S. President to have been born on Independence Day.

Now, go ahead and watch the parade below.

Clallam County’s budget got a significant shot in the arm last week with an infusion of about 7 and a half million dollars in COVID relief dollars from the federal government’s American Recovery Act fund.  Every city and county started receiving those funds last week based on population. 

Appearing on KSQM radio yesterday Clallam County Commissioner Mark Ozias says commissioners are now beginning a process for developing plans for how to allocate that money. He says the CARES act funds received at the beginning of the pandemic had a very short time line for decision making and expenditure of the funds. The Recovery Act funds are intended to last longer and not be quite so reactionary. Right now, commissioners are starting to talk about how to set priorities for spending those dollars within guidelines provided by the Act.

OZIAS:  “We’ve got a couple of years actually to consider how we will obligate those dollars. We actually can spend through 2026. So I’m hoping that the impact from these recovery act funds will last longer than just the next couple of months.”

Ozias says one beneficiary of the new infusion of money will be the county’s public health department.

“There’s no doubt that a significant portion of that is going to be invested in a more robust public health effort. There are some specifics certainly related to COVID and the continuing work that our public health team is going to have to do for the foreseeable future.”

He says the county is expecting to receive the second half of the 15 million dollar grant next year.