4th of July Fun Facts
Submitted by Ed Kufeldt
The Fourth of July this year marks the 244th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence from Great Britain and its king. Although you may be familiar with some popular facts of the historical event also known as Independence Day, you may find it interesting to learn of some lesser known or "fun facts."
The Continental Congress approved a Declaration of Independence on July 2, 1976, and many historians believe that date should be the official day of the United States of America Independence. In making a case for the date, John Adams, a key Continental Congress delegate from Massachusetts and a principal leader of the Revolution, wrote to his wife Abigail on July 3rd that "July 2nd would go down in history."
July 4th was chosen as the official birthday because on that date, the Continental Congress accepted and approved Thomas Jefferson's Declaration of Independence document.
Thomas Jefferson drafted the document on a "laptop," a portable writing table used on one's lap.
The Declaration of Independence was signed by 56 men from 13 colonies. Only John Hancock and Charles Thompson signed the document on July 4, 1776. Most men signed it on August 2, 1776.
The average age of signees was 45. The youngest was Edward Rutledge aged 26 and the oldest was Benjamin Franklin at age 70. Thomas Jefferson was 33.
Two signers became presidents: John Adams and Thomas Jefferson.
The first celebration of independence occurred on July 8, 1976, in Philadelphia when people were summoned for the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence.
The first White House July 4th party occurred in 1801, the first year of Thomas Jefferson's presidency.
Three presidents, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Monroe died on July 4th. Adams and Jefferson died on the same day in 1826, the 50th anniversary of the USA’s independence.
The tradition of fireworks on Independence Day began on July 4, 1777. Firework colors depend upon the metals contained within the explosive: copper burns blue, aluminum and titanium burn white, barium burns green, calcium burns orange, and sodium burns yellow.
New York City has the largest July 4th fireworks display in the country.
Bristol, Rhode Island hosts the oldest, continuous July 4th celebration dating back to 1785.
In 1781 Massachusetts became the first state to declare July 4th an official holiday. The U.S. Congress made Independence Day an official unpaid holiday for federal employees in 1870. In 1938, Congress changed Independence Day to a paid federal holiday to be effective in 1941.
On every July 4th, the cracked Liberty Bell in Philadelphia is tapped, not rung, 13 times in honor of the original colonies. When built the Liberty Bell had nothing to do with celebrating the country's independence. It wasn't called the "Liberty Bell" until the 1830's and that is when it got its famous crack.
Nowadays, typical food for a July 4th celebration includes hot dogs, hamburgers, brats and other barbecued treats. According to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, Americans will eat over 150 million hot dogs this year during the holiday.
Our Founding Fathers had much different food tastes for celebrating the country's independence. According to legend, John Adams and his wife Abigail celebrated the event by having turtle soup, New England poached salmon with egg sauce, green peas, and boiled new potatoes in jackets, followed by Indian pudding or Apple Pandowdy.
Carl Julian
On Monday, April 27th Pelican Bay lost a good friend. It is with the deepest sadness that we announce the passing of our friend, Carl Julian. Carl passed peacefully with family members by his side. He and his wife, Judy are original owners and have lived in Pelican Bay since 1980. Those of us who were fortunate enough to have worked with him on committees will remember him as a man who was passionate about Pelican Bay, both its past and its future. Carl served as the chairman of the Architectural Review Committee for many, many years and actually drafted many of the committee guidelines in use today. He is the person who wrote the Pelican Bay history articles, in his signature folksy style, for each edition of the Pelican Post since December, 2017.
We who worked with him on committees will also remember him for his leadership and kindness. Carl chaired the Common Area Committee for several years. He opened and closed every single meeting by thanking all who were in attendance. He was organized and had an agenda for each meeting. He tried so hard to follow that agenda. Sometimes we would veer off course and he would rein us back in without ever making anyone feel unappreciated. He had a talent. The one thing Carl loved more than Pelican Bay was his family. He and his wife Judy were married for 63 years. He was a father, grandfather and most recently, a great-grandfather. Carl was not shy about bragging about his family members - he was so proud!
A year ago Carl was featured in the Spotlight On feature of the Pelican Post. We learned so much about him from that article. It is with Judy's permission that we attach it here for you to read.
When speaking with Judy on Monday, she said “I’m really going to miss him”. Aren’t we all, Judy. Aren’t we all!
ARC Approval Needed
As Pelican Bay residents we are doing whatever we can to cope at home while waiting for the Covid-19 to get the heck out of Dodge. A lot of us are finally getting to those little jobs around the house that we’ve been putting off for the proverbial rainy day. Some have even taken on bigger projects like painting, new roofs, major landscaping changes, and even erosion control along the canals. All of these things are helping to keep us sane while improving the value of our homes. Pelican Bay is looking better every day!
PLEASE REMEMBER that ARC approval (and perhaps a permit) is still needed before you start any outdoor project. The ARC committee is still meeting twice a month. Forms can be picked up from your property management company. The ARC process was featured in the December issue of the Pelican Post. To read that article click here.
Payment Reminder
Annual Assessment Payment Reminder
Annual Assessment Payment Reminder. If you are on the two payment plan for the annual assessment, NOW is the time to make that payment. Payment was due April 1st. To avoid late fees, penalties and scary letters, mail your coupon and payment to the payment address listed in your coupon book, or hand deliver your payment to the Synovus Bank on Clyde Morris right away.
What’s That Raucous Noise?
The source of the screeching has been identified!
“Screeching birds identified”
Residents of Mallard Cove, Islandia and Cypress Cove have been hearing loud, screeching noises for the past 2-3 weeks. I’m happy to report that the source of the screeching has been identified! Those sounds, occurring throughout the days, but especially at night, are from 3 or 4 raucous Limpkins in the area. The Limpkin has a unique call that sounds like kwr-r-ee-ous, kurr-r-ee-ous, kr-ous, kr-ous. They walk with a limping gait (hence its name) and when in flight, they appear to be dragging one leg as if it's broken.
As shown in the attached picture, a pair appears to be building a nest in a pine tree above the waterway in my backyard.
(Submitted by Ed Kufeldt)
Welcome to Pelican Bay News
Welcome to Pelican Bay News, a website by and for the residents of Pelican Bay, Daytona Beach, Florida. This website is designed to be your source for reference and information of interest to people living in Pelican Bay. It will include much of the same information provided by the Pelican Post as well as current happenings in and around Pelican Bay and Daytona Beach. We welcome your input.