Labor Day is more than a day for barbecues and the last day of school vacation. Coming on the first Monday in September, it is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.
Oregonians might not be aware that ours was the first state to enact observation of Labor Day, on Feb. 21, 1887. By 1894, 23 other states had adopted the holiday in honor of workers, and on June 28 of that year, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday in the District of Columbia and the territories.
For many of us it is a day off, but our local fruit industry, so important to the economy of Hood River County, will work the orchards all next week as the Bartlett harvest winds down and the Anjou harvest starts up.
Notably, Sept. 1 is another milestone that deserves attention: it was on Sept. 1, 1939, that Germany invaded Poland, starting cataclysmic World War II. It is the 75th anniversary of the six-year period that largely defines global society to this day.
Danger Zone: Slow down on Fairview Drive
Steep hills, narrow streets, and prolific foliage help give Hood River its beauty and character.
However, such features bring problems, too.
“Danger Zones” puts a focus on potentially dangerous locations where motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians converge. Safety solutions will vary, but the main purpose of “Danger Zones” is awareness.
Susan Lannak of Fairview Drive has a strong concern about her road.
Main danger: “The speeding on Fairview Drive has gotten out of hand. There are cars flying by at speeds over 50 miles per hour. It isn’t a rarity; it goes on all day and night.”
Contributing factors: There are no street lights at night “so it is extra dangerous to be out there after dark.
“People run, bike, walk their dogs on our street. Soon, children will be walking and riding their bikes to and from school. “
Fairview directly serves Westside Elementary School, intersecting across Belmont from the campus — the elementary with the largest enrollment in the Hood River County School District.
First fix: “I have spoken with the County Sheriff and I am hopeful that they will be monitoring our street soon,” notes Lannak.
“If you have a child who uses Fairview Drive to get to school, please add your voice to my plea to our community to slow down on our beautiful drive.”
This would be the ideal time and place for the Sheriff’s mobile trailer that flashes each car’s speed.
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