Dad's Naval Academy class holds small yearly reunions at various locations around the country. This year we traveled to Cocoa Beach on Florida's east coast. The location immediately brings to mind "I Dream of Jeannie", astronaut Tony Nelson and Barbara Eden in her jeannie outfit. Like the real life astronauts of the time, Major Nelson blasted off from Kennedy Space Center. One of those real life astronauts was a member of the USNA class of 1955, so unsurprisingly a visit to the space center was a part of the reunion. In
one of those could we have timed it any better moments, the exhibition centered
on the 1968 Apollo 8 mission in which astronauts Frank F. Borman, II, James
A. Lovell, Jr. and USNA ’55 graduate William A. Anders.
I didn't like taking pictures even at xmas
Apollo 8 was the first manned mission to fly
around the moon. It was fascinating to hear the audio from that mission as an
adult while reflecting back to my memories of the time. Daddy
worked with the Air Force on their space program, so different things were
highlighted and celebrated than in most American homes. This flight is a
perfect example, my memories center on one aspect of the flight. As the crew
began their circle around the moon edging to the back side, I remember my daddy
worrying about whether everything would go right and if Bill and his buddies
would reappear and re-establish contact with NASA. Daddy worrying about
anything was not something my six year old self had experienced, so I knew
something very serious was happening. Thankfully they did navigate the
spaceship back to the light. All was right with my daddy, his friend and the
world so it was time to get back to what matters most to six year olds at that
time of year, Christmas!
Meanwhile,
there was an important mission still taking place in space. Memorializing the
aforementioned feat of flying around the moon, to once again see earth, Bill
Anders took one of the most famous pictures ever taken “earthrise”. Rather than
taking apart the framed autographed copy off my wall, this one is swiped from
the internet.
Besides the
Earthrise picture, the part of the mission most Americans remember is the
Christmas Eve transmission from the astronauts as they read from the Book of
Genesis. So in closing on this Christmas Eve 46 years later I leave you with
their transmission, wishing all a Merry Christmas.
In this inaugural season, the Morristown Festival
of Books introduces One Community One Book (OCOB) and its 2014 selection of
Morris County resident’s YA novel, Providence. The One Community, One Book committee,
co-chaired by Roxbury resident Kim Armstrong and Morristown resident Michelle
Russo, considered a wide variety books, before settling on Ms. Cocca’s Providence.
The OCOB initiative encourages curiosity, dialogue and discovery by engaging
community book groups, high school students and teachers, library patrons and
the public at large in discussions using a single book that appeals to a
diverse readership. The One Book
selection needs broad appeal to all ages of readers. Providence touches
on loss and abandonment, the challenges of the elderly and keeping small
communities vibrant. “As a member of the sandwich generation, I can easily
relate to the multi-generation aspects of Providence and believe others
will as well.” says Armstrong.
Lisa Colozza Cocca
“New Jersey is celebrating its 350 anniversary, so
showcasing a local author was high on our wish list” continues Armstrong. Lisa
Colozza Cocca, a Flanders resident, is a freelance writer and editor in
educational publishing. She is the
author of numerous nonfiction titles for children and young adults, including Reconstruction
and the Aftermath of the Civil War, Marquis de Lafayette: Fighting for
America’s Freedom, and the Understanding Graphs series. When the sun
goes down, Lisa is back at the computer writing. She is most excited about her
debut YA novel, Providence (Merit Press/F&W Media). Lisa can be
found at www.lisacolozzacocca.com.
Providencewill be a recommended summer reading selection for Pingry and
other area schools. Book clubs throughout the county will join in the
discussions in the months surrounding the festival. Other events around the
area include a June OCOB Kickoff at Kemmerer Harding Library and an in-depth panel
discussion on the themes addressed in Providence. The Morris County
libraries, which strengthen our communities by connecting people with ideas and
information, are solidly behind the OCOB initiative and are participating in
the planning of activities and events. Providence will be available at
your local library and through the Bookworm in Bernardsville, the official
bookseller of OCOB for the Festival.
The Morristown Festival of Books will take place
on Sept 26-27 on South Street. As described by the event’s chair Linda
Hellstrom from Morristown," it is designed to celebrate the power of the
written word to challenge, transport and transform us, while bringing together
our community in conversation." The festival model has been used
successfully by communities around the world.
Lisa Colozza Cocca will be one of the 17 authors
participating in the Friday – Saturday Festival. The full author line-up and the schedule for
Saturday will be published in June. For more information on One Community, One
Book and the Morristown Book Festival, visit us on the web at: www.morristownfestivalofbooks.org,
like us on Facebook at: Morristown Festival of Booksand follow us on Twitter: @MorristownBooks
Anne Hutchinson was a
trailblazer. As expected of anyone who carves out a new way, her life was never
easy. She was the daughter of an English minister, well versed in the Bible and
the Church of England. After her father’s death, her spiritual journey led her to
the teachings of John Cotton. Anne felt compelled to follow her preacher to the
New World. In 1634, Anne and her family arrived in Boston where she quickly
drew the ire of John Winthrop and the Puritans that governed the Massachusetts
Bay Colony. Anne began holding gatherings in her home to discuss the
individual’s intuition as a means of reaching God and salvation, rather than
the observance of institutionalized beliefs and the precepts of ministers. Winthrop
and the Puritans accused Anne and her followers of antinomianism—the view that
God’s grace has freed the Christian from the need to observe established moral
precepts. After three years of animosity with claims and counter claims by both
groups, Anne was put on trial for her offenses. She and her followers were
banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
The banished which
included, the Hutchinson family, William Coddington, John Briggs and John
Clarke fled south to Rhode Island. In Rhode Island Mrs. Hutchinson and her
friends founded the towns of Portsmouth and Newport. The group signed the
Portsmouth Compact which established a new independent colony with non-sectarian
governance. It has been called the first instrument for governing as a true
democracy. Alas, true democracy is never easy. Political strife amid the
community created a rift with some of the group settling Newport. During this
time, William Coddington, the original Governor of Portsmouth, moved to
Newport. Will Hutchinson, Anne’s husband became the new Governor of Portsmouth.
Eventually, the two groups worked out their differences and reunited.
After her husband's death and
amid threats from John Winthrop of Massachusetts taking over Rhode Island, Anne
felt compelled to move totally outside the reach of Winthrop moving further
south to the lands of the Dutch. In recounting Thomas Cornell’s trek to New
York, Henry Crapo explains, "There can be no question that he was loyal to
the distinguished exile, since after the death of her husband in 1642 he and
his family went with her to Manhattan and there again attempted to start a
settlement. It was in the autumn of 1642 that Anne Hutchinson, Thomas Cornell, John
Throckmorton, and others with their families, removed to Manhattan 'neare a
place called by seamen Hell Gate,' a designation which seemed most appropriate
to the Boston divines. Governor Winthrop was evidently interested in following
their fortunes since in 1642 he notes, 'Mr. Throckmorton and Mr. Cornell,
established with buildings, etc., in neighboring plantations under the Dutch.'
The Dutch government, in
fact, granted Thomas Cornell and his associates some thirty-five families in
all, permission to settle 'within the limits of the jurisdiction of their High
Mightinesses to reside there in peace.' In 1643, Cornell and Throckmorton
procured a survey and map of the country they had taken up which was about
eleven miles from New Amsterdam.”1
Anne Hutchinson, had a friendly
relationship with the Narragansett people in Rhode Island. When settling in New
Netherland she assumed she would establish the same type of relationship with the
Siwanoy. Anne and her followers had been friendly to Siwanoy but following
their mistreatment by the Dutch, the tribe retaliated against New Netherland
colony in a series of incidents known as Kieft's War. A tribal elder visited
with the Hutchinsons and Cornell families warning them that Chief Wampage was
planning to attack them. Thomas Cornell took the warning to heed, removing his
family from the area. Anne Hutchinson maintained her belief that she had
nothing to fear from the Siwanoy and with her family remained on their farm.“The Siwanoy warriors
stampeded into the tiny settlement above Pelham Bay, prepared to burn down
every house. The Siwanoy chief, Wampage, who had sent a warning, expected to
find no settlers present. But at one house the men in animal skins encountered
several children, young men and women, and a woman past middle age. One Siwanoy
indicated that the Hutchinsons should restrain the family's dogs. Without
apparent fear, one of the family tied up the dogs. As quickly as possible, the
Siwanoy seized and scalped Francis Hutchinson, William Collins, several
servants, the two Annes (mother and daughter), and the younger
children—William, Katherine, Mary, and Zuriel.”2
Anne Hutchinson is a key
figure in the development of religious freedom in England's American colonies.
Her legacy is one of freedom of religion, the right to free assembly and
women's rights. She has been called the
most famous, or infamous, English woman in colonial American history.
[1] Henry Howland Crapo,
Certain Comeoverers, 2 Vol. (New Bedford, Mass.: 1912), 1:235, of 235-41
[2] LaPlante, Eve (2004).
American Jezebel, the Uncommon Life of Anne Hutchinson, the Woman who Defied
the Puritans. San Francisco: Harper Collins. ISBN 0-06-056233-1. Pg 237
Tonight was a wonderful example why I love living in a small
town. Our town’s kickoff to summer is the Roxbury Arts Alliance’s Annual Beach
Blast. Rain delayed twice the event which is why we’re kicking off summer in
the middle of July. Several community groups, local businesses, recreation and
police came together to create a fun filled evening of food, music, fireworks,
and friends. Residents brought their beach chairs and blankets to the only NJ
park listed in the top 15 best parks in the Take it to the Park, Coca-Cola Park
Contest; Horseshoe Lake Park. Lounging in the sand, we caught up on our summer
activities and commiserated about this blasted heat wave while we enjoyed a
local band play. As darkness approached, the excitement grew for the start of
the fireworks. Local businesses stepped up a few years ago to pick up the torch
after budget cuts forced the town to drop the annual fireworks display. While
the fireworks weren't as splashy as Macy’s they were still wonderful. Oh did I
mention it only took me 5 minutes to get home after the show?
