4/3/99 - Now, It's the Official
Toad, Sport and Candy
By State Representative Cele Hahn
Here we go again.
Last year it was the official donut. Official
polka. Official number.
And, only the polka made it. So, this year,
we're taking another look at
the donut, along with a whole plethora of other wanna be official
things.
Like the Massachusetts Official Toad. Honest.
There was actually a
hearing in Boston this week to name the official toad. In the
running, or
hopping in this case, is the Fowler's Toad, also known as the
Bufo fowleri.
Blame Senator Bruce Tarr of Gloucester for introducing that piece
of
legislation.
But Senator Tarr isn't alone in wanting
to name things official.
From Toad to Ode. "The Ode to Massachusetts"
with words and music by
Joseph Falzone is the candidate for official ode of the commonwealth.
Another bill would make gold the official
color of the Commonwealth.
Because the State House is the centerpiece of state government
and because
of the historical significance of the Bullfinch design of the
building with
its golden dome.
At least they gave a reason, unlike the
sponsors of making a basketball the
official sport of the Commonwealth, who just said "The sport
of basketball
shall be the official sport of the Commonwealth."
Yes, the donut's back again this year,
with the Boston cream donut once
again nominated as the official donut of the Commonwealth.
And NECCO candy has been nominated, evidently
by a school group in
Marblehead, to be the official candy.
Remember Jack Kerouac? One group of legislators
wants March 12th set aside
as Jack Kerouac Day, in recognition of his contributions to American
Literature and the genre of spontaneous prose, for his contributions
to
French-Canadian heritage, and for his love of his hometown of
Lowell.
Of course, there are some fairly serious
nominations as well. Like making
English the official language in the Commonwealth.
Like making the Korean War Memorial in
the Charlestown Navy Yard the
official memorial of the commonwealth to honor the Korean War
veterans of
our state. And naming the World War I veterans statue in the
town of
Orange as the official peace statue, the Orange Peace Statue,
in
Massachusetts.
Or choosing March 31st each year as Civilian
Conservation Corps Day, in
recognition of the contribution of 100,000 members of the Civilian
Conservation Corps, which used manpower and land to build roads,
bridges
and towers from 1933-1942.
And, a proposed act designating Captain
Samuel Whittemore the official
state hero.
Who? Samuel Whittemore, born in 1694 and
who, when not engaged in wars and
conflicts in America and Canada, was a hard working farmer in
Menotomy.
Where? Menotomy! It's now Arlington.
The legislators proposing the honor, tell
the story of April 17, 1775 when
Whittemore, working in his fields, became aware of the retreating
British
army which had fought the militiamen at Lexington and Concord.
Over 80
years old, Whittemore armed himself, disregarded the warnings
of onlookers,
and stationed himself behind a stone wall directly in the path
of the
troops.
When the British army came into point blank
range, Whittemore stood up,
opened accurate fire, and killed three soldiers before he collapsed
from
numerous wounds inflicted by the enraged Englishmen. He was left
for dead.
But, he recovered and lived to be 98.
Whittemore was the oldest Patriot to fight
in the Revolutionary War. And,
the sponsors add, most certainly the United States never had
a braver
warrior."
In honor of his courage, determination,
service and contribution to
American independence, they've picked February 3, the anniversary
of
Captain Whittemore's death, to be the day of a proper observance.
And, my favorite. Making December 31, 1999,
the official Millennium
holiday, with everyone in the Commonwealth taking the day off.
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