Reasons New Orleans' Mardi Gras Has Been Canceled-- Part 3: Celebrate at Home

In 1979, New Orleans' police department went on strike and 16 krewes elected not to partake at all in the Carnival, while more than a dozen others moved to neighboring cities.  

Many people braced for  the Mardi Gras celebrations to be called off in 2006 following the brutal damage and deaths of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.  Yet, the people of New Orleans proceeded with them to show their  strength and resiliency.

The current pandemic, however, proved to be too much of a risk for fear of the event becoming what is now called a super-spreader.  Last year's Mardi Gras on February 25 has been linked to some 50,000 cases of it.

The city has closed the bars in Bourbon Street and blocked off the area for the most part.  People are, instead, decorating the exteriors of their homes and having small get-togethers all over the city.

Let's hope for next year.

Seems To Be the Right Thing to Do.  --RoadDog

Twenty Years Ago Today Was the Beginning of the Round Lake Teacher Strike

It started October 17, 1994, and it went on for 38 school days.  It had quite a profound impact on me, including a change of political parties.  And who ever would have believed it would go on so long (not to mention going to school until after the 4th of July).

It was the intention of the school board and administration to "Break the Union."  They didn't.  Only about ten of the 400+ teachers crossed the line and in the end, after they couldn't get anymore of those people, they were forced to actually begin negotiations.

And, we ended up with most of what we had asked for at the beginning.

I will be writing about it in my Cooter's History Thing Blog today.

Actually, today we are planning on going to Waukegan to walk the line with those teachers, who begin day eleven of their strike today.  Wonder if I can fin my old "Don't tread on Me" flag.

Something That Needn't Have Happened.  --RoadDog