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San Francisco Board Attacks New York History
BY JOE SCOTCHIE
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jscotchie@antonmediagroup.com
Being an abolitionist is not enough.
Neither is being a president of the United States, including the man who led America to victory in World War II.
That was nearly the case of such New York legends as Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin D. Roosevelt, plus Roslyn’s own William Cullen Bryant in the San Francisco school board controversy, one that has garnered enormous nationwide coverage.
In January 2021, that school board made the news when it renamed no less than 44 public schools in the district. That included now-familiar targets: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, William McKinley, Herbert Hoover, Francis Key Scott, Paul Revere, James A. Garfield, Daniel Webster, Robert Louis Stevenson, plus the once-popular California author John Muir, Junipero Serra, a Spanish priest who founded missions across California and the state’s senior senator, Dianne Feinstein. Also temporarily renamed was a Roosevelt Middle School. “[No] one knew whether it was named after Theodore Roosevelt or Franklin Delano Roosevelt,” wrote the journalist Byron York. “If the targeted president was in fact Theodore Roosevelt, the San Francisco board scored a hat trick of sorts — canceling all four U.S. presidents depicted on Mount Rushmore.”
The 2021 vote among school board members was 6-1 in favor of the wholesale renaming.
When a school named for Abraham Lincoln was also targeted, the board clearly went too far. That change along with a plan to eliminate testing for acceptance at an elite public school, one named for James Russell Lowell, sent San Francisco parents into action. Three school board members were subject of a recall vote that proved to be overwhelmingly successful.
Buried in all this was that little Roslyn was also targeted. Not the name of the village, but its most famous literary figure. A public school for William Cullen Bryant too, was renamed in the January 2021 purge.
The Roslyn News asked local officials to comment on the culture war against the unsuspecting Bryant.
“It is a shame the people in San Francisco do not appreciate Bryant’s positive contributions to American history,” said Tom Powell, vice president of Friends of Cedarmere. “Bryant had many accomplishments in his lifetime. He was America’s first poet of renown, and its most famous poet for many years. He was largely responsible for the movement to create Central Park and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. He was the muse, through his poetry and friendship, of the artists, including Thomas Cole and Asher B. Durand, who created America’s first school of painting, the Hudson River School. His love of nature as expressed in his poems and through his other writings, was one of the early influences in the birth of the conservation and environmental movements in America. He was also known for his support for the right to unionize and frequently supported the rights of immigrants.”
Why Bryant? The man used his platform as editor of The New York Evening Post to make a name for himself as a leading abolitionist. Bryant was so prominent that he was chosen by New York Republicans to introduce the generally unknown Abraham Lincoln to an audience at Manhattan’s Cooper Union Hall. The Feb. 27, 1860 speech launched Lincoln’s ultimately successful presidential run that year. Secession, Fort Sumter, the Emancipation Proclamation, a Union victory in the Civil War----not to mention Lincoln’s tragic end---lay ahead. It all began at Cooper Union. And William Cullen Bryant was there.
The name change for Bryant’s San Francisco institution did not receive much publicity. Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and the two Roosevelts are household words. In comparison, Bryant is forgotten. Indeed, his books of poetry are out of print and he no longer has much standing in the American canon. Bryant was more than a poet, as his newspaper career attests. With Cedarmere, the Bryant Viaduct, Bryant Park in Manhattan and Bryant High School in Long Island City, the man isn’t forgotten in Roslyn or the New York City area. You can be sure that San Francisco school board members have never read Bryant’s poetry and his Lincoln introductory speech. Such members probably aren’t even aware of that once-famous address.
Meanwhile, Jefferson and Theodore Roosevelt continue to take a beating. In recent months, a statue of Jefferson was removed from New York City Council members and an equestrian statue of Roosevelt, located in front of the Museum of Natural History, was removed and relocated to little Medora, ND. Unlike San Francisco parents, we must add that New Yorkers did not fight back against those removals.
William Cullen Bryant Bryant Elementary, safe for now
What did you think of this article? Share your thoughts with me by email at: jscotchie@antonmedia group.com
Sherrill Priest in Charge At Trinity
Rev. George Sherrill has joined Trinity Episcopal as its Priest in Charge
Father Sherill, a native of Atlanta, GA, most recently served as interim priest for St. Anselm’s Church in Shoreham. He attended the Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, VA and served as a rector for church parishes in Clarksburg, WVA and Cincinnati, OH.
“I am thrilled to join Trinity Church—an open-hearted and open-minded community that welcomes all people,” Father Sherill said. “I truly felt called to this wonderful church and community and am focused on joyfully sharing how loving God and your neighbor creates abundance in all of our lives. Wherever you are on your spiritual journey, you are welcome here at Trinity Church.”
Prior to joining the priesthood, he worked for more than 13 years in the recycling business, for recycle paper mills and recycling plants. He graduated from Wofford College in Spartanburg, SC, with a degree in History.
Father Sherill is married to Karen F. Sherrill, who is the rector of Grace Episcopal Church in Whitestone. The couple has four children.
Trinity Episcopal Church, located at 1579 Northern Blvd., holds Sunday church services at 10 a.m. It is a historic church, designed by architect Stanford White and with Tiffany stained-glass windows. Contact office@trinityroslyn.org/516-621-7925 or visit http://www.trinityroslyn.org/ for more information.
—Submitted by
Trinity Episcopal Church
Rev. George Sherrill
Vaping: The Continuing Epidemic Among Youth An MTAC Prevention Program
Massapequa Takes Action Coalition (MTAC) will host the virtual presentation Vaping: The Continuing Epidemic Among Youth, at its next General Coalition Meeting on Wednesday, March 9, at 7 p.m. The prevention education program features Dr. David Fagan, vice chairman of Pediatric Ambulatory Administration, Department of Pediatrics-Northwell Health, Cohen’s Children’s Medical Center; Assistant Professor at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell.
Dr. Fagan will discuss the extent of youth/young adult e-cigarette use; health harms associated with e-cigarettes and strategies to address adolescent and young adult e-cigarette use. Despite recent student survey results indicating an overall decrease in vaping for Massapequa youth (grades 8 -12), youth continue to vape and report increased use of traditional cigarettes (DFC Core Measures for Grades 6-12 Report 2020-21 Massapequa Public Schools).
Vaping: The Continuing Epidemic Among Youth is free and open to the community on zoom at https:// us02web.zoom.us/j/83284796294 . For more information contact MTAC Project Coordinator Maura Ebert at info@mtacoalition.com or call 516799-3203, ext. 229.
—Submitted by the Massapequa Takes Action Coalition
Dr. David Fagan
(Photo courtesy of the Massapequa Takes Action Coalition)
Saladino And Hand Attend Massapequa Cub Scout Pack 590’S Annual Pinewood Derby
Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino (second from left) and Oyster Bay Town Councilman Thomas Hand (far left) recently joined with Nassau County Legislator James D. Kennedy (front row, second from the right) and New York State Assemblyman John Mikulin (second row, far right) to congratulate Cubmaster Eric Stashin and Cub Scout Pack 590 for a successful annual Pinewood Derby held at Lockhart Elementary School. The Pinewood Derby teaches Cub Scouts about craftsmanship, sportsmanship and respect for others through friendly competition. Saladino commended the members and leaders of Cub Scout Pack 590 for their hard work, dedication and integrity, which serve as an inspiration to all.
(Photo courtesy of the Town of Oyster Bay)
—Submitted by the Town of Oyster Bay
A beautiful thing!
More savings in your bag.
DEADLINE EXTENDED
The Bryant Library Upcoming Events
The library is at 2 Paper Mill Rd., Roslyn. Call 516-621-2240.
The library offers a mixture of virtual and in-person programs. Visit www.bryantlibrary.org and click on the Calendar of Events for more information. Registration is required for all in-person programs.
Bryant In Stitches
Thursdays March 10, 24 & April 7, 21 1 p.m. Online
Join Bryant Staff and community members to knit, crochet and share projects, patterns, ideas and yarn.
Loneliness & The Pandemic
Friday, March 11 at 1 p.m. Online
The pandemic has affected daily lives, especially how people socialize. At NY Project Hope, crisis counselors understand the impacts of loneliness and are here to listen free of judgment. Join the library on March 11, at 1 p.m. to discuss COVID-19 and relationships on Zoom. Visit www.bryantlibrary.org to register for the link.
Hal Roach: Hollywood’s
Hidden King Of Comedy
Wednesday, March 16 at 1 p.m.
Online
Hal Roach was certainly a wellknown producer, but few realize that this man gave us some of the best comedic acts Hollywood had to offer. From his humble roots being born to Irish immigrant parents in Elmira, NY, to his journey to California to become a successful prospector, Roach himself never envisioned becoming the King of Comedy. But he did, giving us Harold Loyd, Laurel and Hardy, The Little Rascals and so many more. Lecture by Keith Crocker.
Hal Roach
Author Visit: Dinitia Smith
Thursday, March 24 at 6 p.m. Online Money. Power. Sex. Family. These conflicts propel the world’s greatest novels. They seared the pages of The Golden Bowl by Henry James, when it was published in 1904 and they inflame Dinitia Smith’s retelling, The Prince, creating a modern classic with twists and turns that even James couldn’t imagine. Smith, a multiple award-winning former New York Times reporter, uses the modern equivalent of the glittering high society setting of the Golden Age to tell the story of a father and daughter and the prince who comes between them. Set partially on Woodford Island, based on Gardiners Island off the coast of East Hampton, The Prince reconstructs the claustrophobic tension of the original, while exploring the four central relationships with a fresh, modern gaze. Entangled in a complex web strung between love, duty and desire are Emily the happy, freshfaced and rather clueless daughter of enormous wealth, and her worldlier friend, Christina, who has gotten ahead on her sense of style and stunning beauty. Visit www.bryantlibrary. org to register for this author talk.
Isolation To Connection
Monday, March 28 at 1 p.m. Online The Bryant Library and JCC are proud to partner with UJA-Federation New York to offer Isolation to Connection, a program offering short-term social work services and personalized connection with long-term resources for isolated seniors. A Sid Jacobson JCC social worker will establish rapport, assess needs, make facilitated referrals and follow up to confirm service provision, providing a warm connection to ongoing services tailored to each senior’s needs.
Film Noir Screening & Lecture:
Detour (1945)
Wednesday, March 30 at 1 p.m. In person
Chance events trap hitchhiking nightclub pianist Al Roberts in a tightening net of death, deception and blackmail. Register to reserve your seat. Pre-registration required.
Learn About
Therapeutic Art
Thursday, March 31 6 p.m. Online
Join Mia Millard, certified Therapeutic Life Art Coach in exploring art as a form of healing. A therapeutic life art coach’s principles are based on using art projects, fun work vision boards and journaling, which helps the individuals explore their own creative process and enable them to find clarity and understanding.
Introduction To Stress
For Busy Bodies
Monday, April 4 at 1 p.m. Online
Sarah Menichelli is a weight-neutral, Health at Every Size (HAES) Nutritionist meaning her practice is open to everybody. She has her Masters of Science in Human Nutrition and is currently seeing clients virtually. Sarah’s Introduction to Stress for Busy Bodies will cover acute and chronic stress, what happens inside your body when you experience stress and a layered approach to help your body deal with stress. Time for questions will be available at the end of the session. Check out her website at www.chellihealth.com to learn more.
Grow Your Own
Tuesday, April 5 at 1 p.m. Online
If you agree that “variety is the spice of life,” this is the virtual seed starting class for you. Besides giving you the basics on growing successful vegetable starts, participants will be introduced to varieties of peppers, tomatoes and eggplants not typically found in big box stores and garden centers. Patrons must register for this program and can pick up a “grab and go kit” at the library prior to the event. Limited to 50 participants. Visit www. bryantlibrary.org to register.
Billy Gilbert: Hollywood’s
Forgotten Genius
Wednesday, April 6 at 1 p.m. Online This program celebrates Billy Gilbert’s career in cinema, and utilizing various clips from his decades of work shows you why he was one of the favorite foils of Hollywood funny men.
Behind The Scenes Of The Met Museum Library National Library Week
Friday, April 8 at 1 p.m. Online In celebration of National Library Week, join Learn the significance of Tanisha Mitchell behind dream catchers April 26 at the library the scenes at the Metropolitan Opera Music Library. Learn how the library plays a key role in the opera house’s famous opera productions. Participants will also get a glimpse of some historical treasures that inspired Tanisha’s opera talks.
Retirement by Design
Monday, April 11 at 1 p.m. Online Join licensed financial advisor Vincent Sama for a 40-minute presentation that illustrates how you can translate your vision for retirement into tangible goals. The program will also discuss how you can add flexibility to your strategy to help you handle unexpected events. Please visit www. bryantlibrary.org for registration and disclosures.
The Alexander Technique
Wednesday, April 13 at 1 p.m. In person Learn how to improve posture, reduce pain, de-stress, look and feel better and with certified Alexander technique teacher Gary Adelman. Register online today.
Film Noir Screening & Lecture: D.O.A. (1940)
Wednesday, April 20 at 1 p.m. In person Frank Bigelow, told he’s been poisoned and has only a few days to live, tries to find out who killed him and why. Register to reserve your seat. Pre-registration required.
Catch Your Dreams Art Workshop
Tuesday, April 26 at 6 p.m. Online Want to catch your dreams? Join the library for a fun, crafty, evening with artist Deborah Adler. Learn the significance of dream catchers and create your very own full of color and spirit.
