School is back in session and if you are a family with school-age children your weekly rhythm has changed from summertime fun to weekly school activities. Fortunately, you have some extra family time on Fridays and this Monday Sept. 2, Labor Day, is also no school. City Hall and other businesses are also closed on Monday for the holiday.
For most Americans, the long weekend is a much-needed opportunity to reconnect with friends and family and provides a last hurrah before the start of fall. But Monday’s holiday holds a much deeper meaning, rooted in the 19th century fight for fair working conditions. Labor Day was first celebrated unofficially by labor activists and individual states in the late 1800s.
Bring the family and come celebrate Labor Day Cave Junction style. Join our community for the I.V. Lions Club 51st Annual Labor Day Festival starts Saturday, Aug. 31- Monday Sept. 2 at Jubilee Park. There will be a lot of activities happening in the park including food and craft booths, dunk tank, greased pole and much more. There is also a booth with free school supplies for children and the Lions Club train will be traveling around the park.
The Lions Club $10 pancake breakfast at Jubilee Park Pavilion, served by the Illinois Valley Volunteer Firefighter Association, is Saturday-Monday mornings, 7 a.m. – 9 a.m. The downtown parade starts at 10 a.m. Monday, Sept. 2. I hope to see you out there. I will be walking with my dog Zadee and the Main Street Cave Junction float.
Another event happening in our Valley that I am looking forward to this week is an Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve “Under Restoration” tour of the Oregon Caves Chateau with Senator Merkley’s Appropriations Staff. The Grants Pass and the Illinois Valley Chamber of Commerce will both be joining the tour as well as John Garder from the National Park Conservation Association. Any opportunity to show off one of our historical and valuable tourist resources in the valley that needs some serious money for maintenance and upgrades is important.
Let’s honor all your hard work—and the work of those around you—with these meaningful Labor Day quotes.
“You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have.” ~Bob Marley
“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work and learning from failure.” ~Colin Powell
The oldest business in the Illinois Valley. Independently published since 1937.