A BIRTHDAY WISH COME TRUE! CELEBRATING RINGO STARR'S "70th" BIRTHDAY AT NYC'S RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL

I WAS ONE OF THOUSANDS OF LUCKY BEATLE FANS WHO LIVED A DREAM COME TRUE WHEN I SAW JOHN, PAUL, GEORGE, AND RINGO PERFORM LIVE AT SHEA STADIUM BACK IN '65 . NOW, 45 YEARS LATER, LUCK CAME MY WAY ONCE MORE WHEN MY DAUGHTERS AND HUSBAND SURPRISED ME ON MY BIRTHDAY WITH TICKETS FOR ALL OF US TO GO SEE RINGO'S "ALL STARR" BAND IN CONCERT AT RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL ON JULY 7th. NOT ONLY DID WE SEE MY FAVORITE BEATLE, RINGO, PERFORM WITH SOME OF THE BEST ROCK STARS IN THE BUSINESS, WE REALIZED A ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME EXPERIENCE WHEN PAUL MCCARTNEY MADE A SURPRISE APPEARANCE AT EVENING'S END. THERE ARE NO WORDS TO ADEQUATELY DESCRIBE WHAT HAPPENED WHEN PAUL BOUNDED OUT ON THE STAGE, STRAPPED ON HIS TRUSTY HOFNER BASS GUITAR, AND STARTED SINGING THE WHITE ALBUM'S "BIRTHDAY" IN HONOR OF RINGO'S "70th" BIRTHDAY. IT WAS SHEER HYSTERIA AS PAUL SANG AND RINGO PLAYED ALONG ON HIS DRUMS AS IF THEY WERE STILL THE YOUNG LIVERPUDLIANS WHO TOOK THE WORLD BY STORM IN THE DAYS OF A BY-GONE ERA. TALK ABOUT BRINGING THE HOUSE DOWN! THE VIBRATIONS FROM THE CROWD'S DELIRIOUS SHRIEKS SHOOK THE HALL WITH SUCH INTENSITY, WE THOUGHT THE BUILDING WAS GOING TO COLLAPSE AROUND US! NO MATTER - WE WERE WATCHING HISTORY IN THE MAKING. HERE, TOGETHER ON STAGE, WERE PAUL MCCARTNEY AND RINGO STARR, THE TWO REMAINING BAND MEMBERS FROM THE LEGENDARY BEATLES PERFORMING "BIRTHDAY" LIVE - A FIRST SINCE THE SONG'S RECORDING. I WAS INSTANTLY TRANSPORTED BACK IN TIME AND COMPLETELY REVERTED INTO THAT 12 YEAR OLD GIRL ENGULFED IN THE WORLD OF "BEATLEMANIA" AT SHEA 45 YEARS AGO. I SCREAMED AND CRIED MY HEAD OFF ALONG WITH EVERYONE ELSE IN THE HALL - "WE LOVE YOU PAUL"! "WE LOVE YOU RINGO"! AND THEN THE SONG WAS OVER. PAUL AND RINGO EMBRACED, STOOD TOGETHER, AND LET THE LOVE WASH OVER THEM JUST AS THEY DID WHEN THEY WERE WITH THEIR MATES, JOHN AND GEORGE, "ALL THOSE YEARS AGO".

THE JOY AND POIGNANCY OF WITNESSING THE LAST MEMBERS OF THE "FAB FOUR" SHARE THIS BEAUTIFUL OCCASION WAS TRULY A MAGICAL, OUT-OF-BODY EXPERIENCE. IT WAS MADE THAT MUCH MORE SPECIAL BECAUSE IT WAS SHARED WITH MY DAUGHTERS, WHO, NOT SURPRISINGLY, ARE DIE-HARD BEATLES FANS. IT IS A MOMENT IN TIME NEVER TO BE FORGOTTEN! IT MAY HAVE BEEN RINGO'S BIRTHDAY, BUT IT WAS MY BIRTHDAY WISH COME TRUE.

THANK YOU COURTNEY, KELLY, AND RALPH FOR GIVING THIS DEVOTED BEATLES FAN THE BEST GIFT I COULD HAVE EVER ASKED FOR! BEATLES 4 EVER - Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!

http://www.examiner.com/beatles-in-national/ringo-starr-s-birthday-report-5-macca-surprised-ringo-and-sat-with-fans-more-pics-videos

OCT. 20 GO PURPLE FOR SPIRIT DAY: HELP STOP LGBT BULLYING

Share the love and go purple to honor the teens who have taken their own lives in recent weeks due to anti-LGBT bullying

http://www.glaad.org/

http://www.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/all/home/index.html

NATIONAL POW/MIA RECOGNITION DAY

http//www.dtic.mil/dpmo/pow_day/

http//www.vfw.org/resources/pdf/VFWmagazineJPACseries.pdf

Today all Americans honor our POW and MIA heroes, a unique group of our nation's Armed Forces who endured one of the most arduous and brutal aspects of war. As of August 2010, nearly 82,000 Americans who served in the military are still missing in action (MIA).

This is a time to remember and reflect on the cost of freedom. We must never forget the untold sacrifices made by valiant soldiers who went to war and suffered cruel imprisonment by the enemies or still remain missing with their fates unknown.

Let us take the time today to honor the valor of America’s POWs and MIAs and give continuing support to their families and loves ones.

________________________________________________________________

MISSING MAN TABLE & HONORS CEREMONY
Moderator:

As you entered the dining area, you may have noticed a table at the front, raised to call your attention to its purpose -- it is reserved to honor our missing loved ones [or missing comrades in arms, for veterans].

Set for six, the empty places represent Americans still [our men] missing from each of the five services -- Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard - and civilians. This Honors Ceremony symbolizes that they are with us, here in spirit.

Some [here] in this room were very young when they were sent into combat; however, all Americans should never forget the brave men and women who answered our nation's call [to serve] and served the cause of freedom in a special way.

I would like to ask you to stand, and remain standing for a moment of silent prayer, as the Honor Guard places the five service covers and a civilian cap on each empty plate.

Honor Guard:

(In silence or with dignified, quiet music as background, the Honor Guard moves into position around the table and simultaneously places the covers of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard, and a civilian hat, on the dinner plate at each table setting. The Honor Guard then departs.)

Moderator:

Please be seated ....... I would like to explain the meaning of the items on this special table.

The table is round -- to show our everlasting concern for our missing men.

The tablecloth is white -- symbolizing the purity of their motives when answering the call to duty.

The single red rose, displayed in a vase, reminds us of the life of each of the missing, and the[ir] loved ones and friends of these Americans who keep the faith, awaiting answers.

The vase is tied with a red ribbon, symbol of our continued determination to account for our missing.

A slice of lemon on the bread plate is to remind us of the bitter fate of those captured and missing in a foreign land.

A pinch of salt symbolizes the tears endured by those missing and their families who seek answers.

The Bible represents the strength gained through faith to sustain those lost from our country, founded as one nation under God.

The glass is inverted -- to symbolize their inability to share this evening's [morning's/day's] toast.

The chairs are empty -- they are missing.

Let us now raise our water glasses in a toast to honor America's POW/MIAs and to the success of our efforts to account for them.

Courtesy of:
NATIONAL LEAGUE OF FAMILIES
OF AMERICAN PRISONERS AND MISSING IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
http://www.pow-miafamilies.org/

______________________________________________________________
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
September 16, 2010

Presidential Proclamation--National POW/MIA Recognition Day

"Until every story ends" is a solemn promise to those who wear the uniform of the United States that they will never be left behind or forgotten. On National POW/MIA Recognition Day, we pay tribute to the American men and women who never returned home from combat, to those who faced unthinkable suffering as prisoners of war in distant lands, and to all servicemembers who have defended American lives and liberties with unwavering devotion. As a grateful Nation, we can never repay the profound debt to our heroes, and we will not rest until we have accounted for the missing members of our Armed Forces.

We demonstrate our deep gratitude and admiration for our brave patriots not in words alone, but in our actions to bring them home. Each year, specialists in our Department of Defense scour foreign battlefields and burial sites, interview witnesses, and search national and international archives for information about those missing from the Vietnam War, Korean War, Cold War, World War II, and other conflicts. Their work will not be complete, nor our commitment fulfilled, until the families of those taken or missing in action can rest knowing the fate of their loved ones.

On September 17, 2010, the stark black and white flag honoring America's prisoners of war and those missing in action will be flown over the White House; the United States Capitol; the Departments of State, Defense, and Veterans Affairs; the Selective Service System Headquarters; the World War II Memorial; the Korean War Veterans Memorial; the Vietnam Veterans Memorial; United States post offices; national cemeteries; and other locations across our country. It is a powerful reminder that our Nation will never cease in our task to recover, remember, and honor the courageous men and women who have served and sacrificed so much for each of us.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim September 17, 2010, as National POW/MIA Recognition Day. I urge all Americans to observe this day of honor and remembrance with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this sixteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fifth.

BARACK OBAMA

Patriot Day Remembrance

Let us always honor the memories of the 9/11 victims, give support to the victim’s families and loved ones, and give thanks to the firefighters, law enforcement, rescue personnel, and members of our military services for their heroic efforts on that tragic day and in it’s aftermath.

I'll Light A Candle
by Karen Drucker

I'll light a candle in your memory
Though I don't know who you are
When I think about your family
I will wish upon a star
I pray that they'll find peace someday
I pray they'll make it through
I'll light a candle in your memory to honor you
I'll light a candle for America
May we feel peace inside
We'll hold each other closer
And wipe the tears we've cried
I pray we'll bond together
I pray that we'll pull through
I'll light a candle for America
For me and for you
We will light the world with our love
I'll light a candle for humanity
For the good that's yet to come
As we overlook our differences
And join now as one
I pray we'll come out stronger
In this world I'm dreaming of

THANK YOU, GOVERNOR CHRISTIE!

Christie supports Roxbury school board member censured over protest
By MATT MANOCHIO • STAFF WRITER • June 11,
2010

ROXBURY — Gov. Chris Christie criticized the local
school district's tactics in censuring a member of
the school board, while also addressing upcoming
nominations to the Lake Hopatcong Commission
during a town hall style meeting Thursday.

"The whole idea I think for a public official is, you
should speak up," Christie said, referring to the
school board censuring fellow board member
Maureen Castriotta for appearing on Roxbury High
School property unannounced during a student
protest against the governor's school aid cuts. She
had criticized school officials for allowing the rally
during school hours.

Christie, of Mendham Township, spoke to a
standing-room-only audience of more than 200
people about his proposal to put on November's
ballot a measure to cap state and local property tax
increases at 2.5 percent with certain exceptions. He
also discussed his plans to disband the state
Council on Affordable Housing, returning the
obligation to build affordable units to municipalities
using a market-based approach.

In speaking about Castriotta, Christie was
responding to a question posed by township
resident Marie Felix at the Roxbury Performing Arts
Center on Eyland Avenue. Castriotta and fellow
board member Chris Rogers, both of whom attended
the meeting, had voted against the school budget
and against the censure motion last month.

Christie rhetorically asked the audience whether
school administrators would have allowed a student
rally critical of the New Jersey Education
Association.

"That protest was permitted by school officials
because it supported their political point of view,"
said Christie, who chided what he described as
bully tactics used by teacher unions who sought to
intimidate school boards.

He stressed his objection was with union leadership
and not with rank-and-file members.

Castriotta smilingly applauded the governor's take.
Schools Superintendent Michael Rossi and board
member Greg Somjen, both of whom supported the
censure, left the meeting together before it
concluded, and did not comment when asked if they
wanted to address Christie's criticisms.


The governor also addressed a resident's concern
about the cash-strapped Lake Hopatcong
Commission, which oversees maintenance of the
state's largest lake.

"Right now, I have to be honest with you, we don't
have the money for it," Christie said, adding that
should revenues pick up in the years to come, he'd
look to readdress the matter.

During a press conference following the town hall-
style meeting, Christie said he would make
appointments to the commission within the next
week. When asked whether he would nominate
Jefferson Mayor Russell Felter, who currently sits on
the commission, to be its chairman, Christie
wouldn't say, but praised Felter.

"I have great admiration for Russ," Christie said,
adding he's known Felter for 16 years. He said if
Felter was interested in working for the state "he's
someone who I would clearly love to have."

Later in the day, state officials announced that Felter
Advertisement was nominated to chair the Commission, replacing
Mount Arlington Mayor Art Ondish.

Christie's primary purpose in being in his home
county was to prod supporters of capping property
tax increases at 2.5 percent a year to write and call
Democratic leaders in Trenton to allow the question
to come up for a vote in the Legislature to put it on
the public ballot.

"They may not post it for a vote, so you won't know
whether your legislator voted yes or no," Christie
said. He said he wants every lawmaker to go on
record whether they support the ballot initiative.

'Those people who vote no on that are going to hear
from the governor in 2011," Christie said of the next
time statehouse elections will be held. He said the
only way property taxes could be increased above
2.5 percent is to address debt service, or if the
residents vote to raise them.

Regarding COAH, Christie said a bipartisan group of
lawmakers was working to eliminate it.

"I said one of my first priorities was to make sure we
gutted COAH," he said, later adding, "we're going to
have a funeral for COAH, respectfully bury it and put
it away forever."

Matt Manochio: 973-428-6627;
mmanochi@gannett.com