Think about it....



11^th Road after the Hurricane of September 22-23, 1938
Photo from George Hebbel

Eddie "Rabbit" O'Hare, a Broad Channel resident who has temporarily relocated to Syracuse, N.Y. until such time as he becomes sick of that area's 2 foot snowfalls, forwarded the above picture of damage to West 11th Road after the Hurricane of '38 which he obtained courtesy of the Broad Channel Historical Society.

August and September are the most active months for Hurricane and Tropical Storm formations and, although our area has been extremely fortunate in this regard, being an island coastal community, it's a good idea to take some time and think about how we would respond to a potential hurricane or severe Tropical Storm impact in the Broad Channel area.

Thanks for the reminder "Rabbit"!

More on the possible closure of Peninsula Hospital....

From the 7/28/2011 edition of the Queens Forum South....

Another Queens Hospital Faces Closure

July 28, 2011

Peninsula Hospital, one of two hospitals in Far Rockaway, may soon be shuttered. It would be the fourth Queens hospital to close in the last several years, and southern Queens residents would lose 200 hospital beds and nearly 1,000 jobs.

According to several reports, Peninsula Hospital, like many other hospitals in the region, is undergoing a severe financial crisis after cuts to Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements.

“Cuts in Medicaid reduce the reimbursements that the hospitals get for the patients who have insurance to start with,” Dr. Wayne Dodakian of Peninsula Hospital told NY1. “But the bigger problem is patients come to our hospital without any insurance at all of any kind. They are self-paid. They don’t have jobs. But we never turn them away. So consequently we pay for their treatment, essentially working for free.”

Local residents are worried that Peninsula’s closing could have devastating affects.

“The Peninsula Hospital E.R. is presently only a three mile ambulance ride from Broad Channel,” said Peter Mahon of the West 12^th Road Block Association. “Should Peninsula Hospital close, the only remaining emergency room treatment centers available to our community would be St. John’s in Far Rockaway, 5.25 [miles from] Broad Channel and Jamaica Hospital Center, over 10 miles away.”

Mahon said he intends to reach out to local elected representatives to determine how a potential closure would affect the community and also plans to speak with the Broad Channel Volunteer Fire and Medical Services.

Several years ago, both Queens Borough Hall and a statewide commission recommended Peninsula Hospital merge with its parent hospital St. John’s Episcopal Hospital. Those calls went unheeded, and now St. John’s Episcopal may become the only hospital to serve the Rockaways.

Queens Borough President Helen Marshall has called for an emergency meeting with state health officials to explain the future of local healthcare to residents. She also decried the growing health crisis in Queens.

“Once again, Queens will now lose more beds and the bleeding of Queens’ hospitals will continue,” Marshall said.

In 2008, Parkway Hospital in Forest Hills closed, and in 2009, St. John’s Hospital in Elmhurst and Mary Immaculate Hospital in Jamaica shut their doors.

by Eric Yun

The Sunset Marina in Broad Channel



The Sunset Marina in Broad Channel
64 West 10th Road

With a spectacular view of the Manhattan and Brooklyn skylines,offering  boaters and kayakers the opportunity to explore and enjoy parts of Jamaica Bay and its wildlife, the Sunset Marina of Broad Channel is located at the bay end of West 10th Road in Broad Channel and  is the perfect launching point for a fun-filled day on the water.

Spend unforgettable weekends and summers on the water with friends and family and find out why Sunset Marina in Broad Channel is the ideal marina, with that longed for small town atmosphere, offering kayak rentals, summer and winter boat and kayak storage, bait and tackle, parts and service and WiFi!

While you're visiting, why not stay awhile to enjoy a unforgettable sunset on Jamaica Bay? 

Call (718) 474-3256 or visit the Sunset Marina's website for more information.

Inquiry by Queens Forum Newspaper re: Peninsula Hospital

A few days ago, we posted an article from Crains Business New York regarding the possible closure of Peninsula Hospital. 

Shortly thereafter, Eric Yun, a reporter from the Queens Forum Newspaper, contacted the association via email stating:

“I saw your e-mail about the possible closure of Peninsula Hospital. As a civic leader, I was hoping to get your thoughts about how this hospital shutdown would impact residents of Broad Channel.”

On behalf of the Association the following response was forwarded to Mr. Yun earlier today.

Eric...

Back in May of 2009 both St. John’s and Mary Immaculate Hospitals in Queens were closed. More than 100,000 patients  were serviced in these two hospitals emergency rooms annually.

It goes without saying that the emergency rooms at Jamaica Hospital (as well as Elmhurst and N.Y. Hospital of Queens) are now required to service that displaced E.R. population.

Should Peninsula Hospital close, the one remaining hospital in the Rockaways (St. John’s) will be required to service the patient E.R. population displaced as a result of that closure.

The drawback of any local hospital closure is that patients, who preferred being treated at the closing hospital, will have to go somewhere else.

Additionally, closing a hospital decreases patient choice. If patients gain utility from increased treatment locations, then a hospital closure decreases and individual’s welfare even if it would not be their top choice for treatment.

The above notwithstanding, the primary concern of Broad Channel residents centers on the possible  loss of our local emergency room, and the accompanying and increased travel times to receive hospital services.

The Peninsula Hospital E.R. is presently only a 3 mile ambulance ride from Broad Channel.  Should Peninsula Hospital close, the only remaining emergency room treatment centers available to our community would be St. Johns in Far Rockaway, 5.25 distant from Broad Channel and Jamaica Hospital Center, over 10 miles away.

The closure of a local hospital and its emergency room is not unlike the closure of a local firehouse. When there is an emergency - minutes matter. So closing a hospital can be the difference between life and death.. ….any increase in that period of time where trauma victims don't have that surgeon or that operating room working on them could, in some cases, affect survivability.

Our community of Broad Channel also recognizes that increased travel time to a hospital will most significantly affect the most vulnerable of our residents - the elderly and the disabled.

We only became aware of the possible closure of Peninsula Hospital Medical Center earlier this week and we have only begun to explore the impacts such closure will have on our community.

We will be reaching out to our elected representatives and the appropriate city agencies to obtain as much information as possible regarding this situation so as to keep our neighbors informed.

Additionally, we will be seeking the advice of  Chief Dan McIntyre of the Broad Channel Volunteer Fire and Medical Emergency Services regarding how best to proceed in this matter
. 

We would also like to extend our appreciation to the Forum for taking an interest in this issue.

         

Gotta Love the DEP.....

On Tuesday (7/26/2011) I posted a message regarding some unusal conditions in the bay and then  I forwarded that post to the D.E.P. in the hopes that since that agency is so interested in everything else that goes on in Broad Channel regarding Jamaica Bay, they might want to look into this issue.

Later yesterday I received a response from Mark Lanaghan of the D.E.P. providing the following, very useful, information

"Sorry I don't have any insight into the conditions you're describing."

In hindsight perhaps I should have "overnighted" the dead crabs to D.E.P.!

USPS to close 34 Post Offices in City

From:  NY1

The United States Postal Service announced today it's mulling the closure of thousands of post offices nationwide, including dozens here in the city.

Officials say that they are conducting studies of 3,700 offices across the nation to determine if they are needed by customers.

This, as the agency grapples with a growing deficit

A total of 34 offices across the five boroughs are on the list.

The Bronx has the most in jeopardy with 17, followed by Manhattan with six, then Brooklyn and Queens with five each and Staten Island with just one.  The Rockaway Park Post Office (next to Waldbaums)  (on 90th street) is on the list of possible closures.

The Postal Service is also considering other cost-cutting measures including eliminating Saturday delivery.

The post office is losing billions of dollars as more people use the Internet to communicate.

To view the full list of possible closures in New York, visit the USPS website.

What's up with the bay?

 Herring and Laughing Gulls have been feasting on killies which have been schooling close to the surface of the Bay for the past 5 hours. [These pictures were taken at 11:55 am, Tuesday, 7/26/2011] 

This morning I counted at least nine dead crabs (both large and small) floating in the canal.  After retrieving one, I could find no indication that it had been injured due to predation.

The water in the bay has been a pale shade of opaque green since Saturday.

I have contacted the DEP and advised them of these conditions and requested that they provide me with any information they may have regarding same.

"Shared Space" Conceptual Design Proposal - W12th Road

Below are various "conceptual design" drawings of the proposed "shared space" design proposal for West 12th Road presented at this past Friday's meeting with DOT and the RBA Group.

Previous postings regarding this design may be found here.

Boy Scouts in Broad Channel....

Scouts come to Broad Channel

BY MICHAEL PANTELIDIS mpantelidis@queenscourier.com

Wednesday, July 6, 2011 11:28 AM EDT

The wait is over for the boys of Broad Channel.

After roughly three decades, Broad Channel once again has a Boy Scouts troop to call its own. Cub Scout Pack 282, which was established in May, currently has 40 members and is expected to become one of the largest packs in Queens by the fall. While there is no official Boy Scouts troop yet, the minimum membership requirement has already been satisfied and the induction process is nearly complete.

Southern Queens has been a focus area of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) for the past year, due in large part to low membership from that region. Therefore, when Fred Ciappetta, a co-founder of Pack 282, had the idea to start a troop in Broad Channel, the BSA was more than happy to oblige.

“It usually doesn’t happen this way,” said Jason Tewes, District Director of the Queens Council Boy Scouts of America. “Usually, we have to go and find parents, but these were people that really wanted to get their kids involved. These parents came out and said, ‘we want to be volunteers, and we’ll do whatever you need us to do to be leaders.’”

Tewes, who has chartered nearly 20 troops, said Broad Channel has been by far the most successful one he has been involved with.

The first step in becoming a certified troop was obtaining a sponsor, which Pack 282 found in the form of the Broad Channel Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). Once a sponsor was established, parents interested in being leaders had to submit their applications and participate in two mandatory training exercises: Youth Protection Training and Basic Cub Leader Training. The entire process lasted approximately five months.

Ciapetta, who is in charge of a swim team in Broad Channel as well, says the idea for the troop came to him when boys began leaving the team to join the Boy Scouts in Howard Beach. In order to recruit scouts, registration posts were arranged at St. Virgilius Roman Catholic Church after Sunday mass and at the neighborhood sports field.

“There are a lot of kids hanging out on the corner, and they have nothing to do,” said Ciappetta. “So this gives them something to do and it keeps them out of trouble and away from drugs. It teaches boys to respect themselves and the neighborhood, and it teaches them a good way of life.”

Pack 282 was co-founded by Joe Panetta and Rick Sorrentino as well. The three co-founders all have sons who are members of the troop.

“The experience alone is something you won’t find anywhere else,” said Panetta, Cub Master of Pack 282. “Things you learn in Boy Scouts you hold onto forever. It molds you into a better person later on in life. The values you learn you carry every day, and the experiences are priceless.”

Panetta, who is an Eagle Scout, said that his Cub Master training brought back many terrific memories from his childhood, making him certain that starting the troop was the right choice.

Queens' Peninsula Hospital Center set to close.....

From: Crains New York Business

New York City is about to lose another financially troubled hospital. Sources say Peninsula Hospital Center, one of two hospitals serving Far Rockaway, Queens, is set to close 90 days after state officials confirm a closure plan for the 200-bed hospital. Some 1,000 workers would lose their jobs if the plan goes forward. 

Spokesmen from the state Department of Health and MediSys were not immediately available for comment.

Hospitals in Brooklyn and Queens are among the most financially strained in the city, largely because they serve poorer communities and rely heavily on Medicaid for revenue. Peninsula's pending closure comes at a time when state health officials have created a task force to deal with the ailing health of hospitals in Brooklyn. The state is holding a public hearing on July 28 to solicit public comment on restructuring health care in the borough.

Queens hospitals are also struggling. Peninsula, once an independent hospital, joined the MediSys Health Network several years ago so that it could reap financial benefits from being part of a system.

But now MediSys can no longer afford to carry the hospital. Another MediSys member, Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center, is also struggling. It owes millions of dollars to the benefits funds of its main union, 1199 SEIU, and has clashed with local politicians over the disruption of union members' health benefits. An unconfirmed report puts Peninsula in a similar position, owing tens of millions of dollars to both the benefit funds and vendors.

Peninsula's closure would leave only one hospital, St. Johns Episcopal Hospital, serving the geographically isolated community of Far Rockaway. The state's former health care restructuring panel--the Berger commission--had recommended that Peninsula and St. Johns merge into a single entity, and that a new hospital be built with an inpatient capacity of between 350 and 400 beds. The commission said in its report that “two separate, inefficient and outmoded facilities” should not serve an area of Queens “which is experiencing major development and population growth.” The recommendations were never implemented.

Flood Project Update - "Shared Space" Design

A "shared space" street in England

On Friday, July 22, 2011, the West 12th Road Block Block Association (Mr. John Heaphy, Ms. Sophia Valakis-DiVirgilio and Peter Mahon) met with Queens D.O.T. Commissioner Maura McCarthy and representatives from the RBA design Group at the North Channel Yacht Club to discuss the Flood Mitigation Project here in Broad Channel. The meeting was also attended by residents from West 11th Road and the Broad Channel Civic Association. 


The purpose of this meeting was to address the many complaints raised by  residents of West 11th and 13th Roads during their recent meetings with DOT and the RBA Group regarding the impact of the proposed street raising on individual property "encroachments" (i.e., decks, stairs, fencings, etc.) as well as the projected loss of individual street parking due to "bump outs" for utility poles.

As a result of those complaints, the RBA Group reviewed the entire project to ascertain what, if anything, could be done to minimize the impacts this project would have on individual property owners and the RBA Group has now presented us with an alternate project design which would incorporate a "Shared Space" concept.
"Shared Space"is a term used to describe a particular streetscape design philosophy primarily aimed at changing the impact of motor traffic in public spaces used by pedestrians which includes two main design criteria:

                                              The reduction/removal of traffic control devices

and,

The reduction/removal of barriers between pedestrians and vehicles.

If the "shared space" concept were implemented on West 12th Road, existing utility poles would remain where they are (although they would likely have to be raised to account for the new height of the street) and there would be no need for "bump outs" which would require a marked reduction in the number of available parking spaces on the block, which would remain available on both side of West 12th Road.

Additionally, all existing fire hydrants on West 12th Road would be moved to the opposite side of the street where the existing poles are located.

The north side of West 12th Road would have a 2 foot "sight disabled" zone to allow for "sight disabled" pedestrian movement on the block deleniated by the placement of bollards on that side of the block.

Additionally, because of the width of this innovative "shared space" (29 feet) design there would be fewer encroachment impacts on individual properties as exists with the present street/sidewalk plan which is 32 feet wide.
The use of the "shared space" design would also provide a wider available center of the "shared space" to allow a more unobstructed movement of emergency vehicles and sanitation trucks on the block.

The design philosophy states that these design treatments enable reduced vehicle speeds due to drivers no longer assuming they have priority and being forced to be aware of other road users. The reduced speed and increased awareness results in an "environment of care" where the use of the space is more balanced between all road users.

As an aside, DOT has stated that should the "shared space" design be accepted by the residents of West 12th Road, they would also reconfigure the top end (Cross Bay Boulevard) access to our block in a manner which would ensure all entering vehicles are slowed to an appropriate speed and made aware that they are entering on to a "shared space" street.

The claimed benefits of shared space schemes are wide and varied including improved pedestrian amenity, increased vibrancy of the street environment, increased use of the shared space by pedestrians, reduced vehicle speeds, reduced accident rates and increased property values.

Very simply put, West 12th Road would no longer have a "street" per se, "sidewalks" or "curbs".  In their place would be a "shared space", a single level 29' wide concrete pad which would be "shared" by cars, bicycles and pedestrians alike.

Shared space removes the traditional segregation of motor vehicles, pedestrians and other road users. Conventional road priority management systems and devices such as curbs, lines, signs and signals are replaced with an integrated, people-oriented understanding of public space, such that walking, cycling, shopping and driving cars become integrated activities.
This "shared space" would be "reverse crowned" providing center drainage thus eliminating any ponding near properties. The "shared space" can be designed by "scoring" the concrete and sections of the space can be tinted to deleniate free space adjacent to properties to prevent parking directly next to a property.

Does any of this sound familiar?  Commissioner McCarthy noted that on West 12th Road "...everybody walks in the street and parks their cars on the sidewalk."   We have actually been utilizing the "shared space" concept as a means of accomodating pedestrians, bicyclists, children and cars on our narrow streets for years! Think about it....most large parking lots — for example, those at shopping centers and other stores — effectively function in ways that are very similar to shared spaces on European shopping streets.  We have been operating in shared spaces — if drab ones — for decades, without being aware of it.
Initially, this proposal looks promising, nevertheless, we are still in the process of investigating this "shared space" design concept and we will be attempting to reach out to contact various communities, both in the United States and Europe, who presently live with such a design to obtain their feedback.
Within the next week or so we should have sufficient information at which time we will schedule a meeting of West 12th Road residents when we can sit down and discuss this proposal at length to ascertain if this recommendation is one our block feels comfortable with.

Feeling Hot....Hot....Hot.....

Major heat is already working its way into our area and will be with us through Saturday.

The peak of the heat wave will be Friday with highs well into the 90s nearing the 100-degree mark.

With humidity factored in, the temperature index will climb to well over 105 - 110  degrees during the hottest hours of the afternoon.

Overnight lows will only drop into the 80s due to the extremely high humidity making matters more uncomfortable during this period.

Excesive Heat Watch Issued for Thursday and Friday....

Excessive Heat Watch

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY
313 AM EDT WED JUL 20 2011

...PROLONGED PERIOD OF EXCESSIVE HEAT POSSIBLE STARTING
THURSDAY...

.A LARGE DOME OF HIGH PRESSURE ACROSS THE CENTRAL UNITED STATES
WILL GRADUALLY MOVE EAST AND SPREAD AN INCREASINGLY HOT AND HUMID
AIR MASS ACROSS THE REGION STARTING THURSDAY AFTERNOON.


...EXCESSIVE HEAT WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY AFTERNOON
THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING...

* LOCATIONS...NEW YORK CITY...ALL OF NORTHEAST NEW JERSEY AND
  THE LOWER HUDSON VALLEY INCLUDING ORANGE...PUTNAM...ROCKLAND
  AND WESTCHESTER COUNTIES.

* HAZARDS...EXCESSIVE HEAT WITH AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES OF 95 TO
  100 DEGREES THURSDAY AND FRIDAY AFTERNOONS.

* HEAT INDEX VALUES...UP TO AROUND 105 DEGREES THURSDAY AFTERNOON
  AND UP TO AROUND 110 DEGREES FRIDAY AFTERNOON.

* TIMING...THURSDAY AND FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENINGS MAINLY FROM
  NOON UNTIL 10 PM EACH DAY.

* IMPACTS...POTENTIAL IMPACTS INCLUDE HEAT DISORDERS FOR
  CHILDREN...THE ELDERLY AND PEOPLE PERFORMING PHYSICAL
  ACTIVITIES DURING THE PEAK HEATING OF THE DAY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WATCH MEANS THAT THE COMBINATION OF HEAT AND
HUMIDITY COULD CREATE A DANGEROUS SITUATION IN WHICH HEAT
ILLNESSES ARE POSSIBLE. TAKE EXTRA PRECAUTIONS IF YOU WORK OR
SPEND TIME OUTSIDE. WHEN POSSIBLE...RESCHEDULE STRENUOUS
ACTIVITIES TO EARLY MORNING OR EVENING. KNOW THE SIGNS AND
SYMPTOMS OF HEAT EXHAUSTION AND HEAT STROKE. WEAR LIGHT WEIGHT
AND LOOSE FITTING CLOTHING WHEN POSSIBLE AND DRINK PLENTY OF
WATER.

TO REDUCE RISK DURING OUTDOOR WORK THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND
HEALTH ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDS SCHEDULING FREQUENT REST BREAKS
IN SHADED OR AIR CONDITIONED ENVIRONMENTS. ANYONE OVERCOME BY
HEAT SHOULD BE MOVED TO A COOL AND SHADED LOCATION. HEAT STROKE
IS AN EMERGENCY...CALL 9 1 1.

Looking at a Steamy End of Week...

Another sweltering heat wave is gripping a large part of the U.S., with at least 14 states hitting the 100-degree mark Monday and more than 40 surpassing 90°. While it's already hot here in our area on the East Coast, the worst is on its way. We will be experiencing highs near 100° by Thursday and Friday as the steamy air spreads eastward from the Plains.

Severe Weather Possible later Today....

As heat and humidity continue to surge into the Midwest and Northeast, the stage will become set for severe thunderstorm development for our area later today.

Although we have been experiencing relatively nice, but warm weather the last few days, a noticeable increase in humidity will be felt today. This increase in moisture will help to fuel shower and thunderstorm development as a cold front approaches from the north.

The danger of strong storms will not unfold until later today (Monday afternoon) when damaging winds will be the greatest threat from the strongest thunderstorms today. Frequent lightning, downpours and hail are other dangers.

You might want to take some time and make sure your deck furniture and accessories are all secured early today so none of us are caught short as we were last Wednesday when that unexpected squall blew through the Channel. 

Helping the kids of Broad Channel - One of the Good Guys...

From the July 14, 2001 edition of The Courier Sun -

Fred Ciappetta

Co-founder of the Boy Scouts in Broad Channel

COMMUNITY ENVOLVEMENT: Fred Ciappetta co-founded the Boy Scouts troop in Broad Channel with a few of his friends: Joe Panetta, Rick Sorentino and Bobby Sacco. He also runs a local boys’ swim team for the Catholic Youth Organization. After he realized he was losing members of his swim team to the Howard Beach Boy Scouts, he decided it was time Broad Channel had a Boys Scouts troop of its own. Ciappetta called the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) in the beginning of January, and after approximately four months of filling out paperwork and completing the required training exercises, the Boy Scouts of Broad Channel became an official troop.

PERSONAL: Ciappetta is married and has two children: an eight-year-old son named Anthony and a three-month-old daughter named Dianna. In his free time, he enjoys fishing in Jamaica Bay.

OCCUPATION: Ciappetta owns Ruffle Bar in Broad Channel.

BIGGEST CHALLENGE: Ciappetta said the biggest challenge with regards to the Boy Scouts was, “to get enough parents to volunteer and help out.” He explained that he needed volunteers to supervise the multiple packs. “Now we have over 15 volunteers,” he said.

FAVORITE MEMORY: Ciappetta said his favorite memory is the 10 mile river hike he did as a child when he was a Boy Scout. He truly enjoyed the activities that the Boy Scouts offered, including hiking and canoeing. “I like it out there in nature,” he said.

INSPIRATION: Ciappetta said his inspiration is, “to help the kids in the community . . . When I grew up we didn’t have much. I want to provide something [for the boys] to keep them out of trouble and on the straight path.”

"Bad Moon Rising" this Friday...the Thunder Moon!

Brace yourselves and batten down the hatches because "a bad moon is rising" this week... the Full Thunder Moon!

The full moon this week occurs on July 15 and unofficially marks the middle of the summer, or the middle of the hot weather season.

Will this full moon cause mere fair weather cumulus clouds to grow into violent thunderstorms? No.

Will there be lightning bolts flying out of the moon? No. 

Could there be claps of thunder from nearby thunderstorms? Perhaps.

Despite the ominous inference, the reason for this full moon's nickname is simply that thunderstorms are quite frequent during the month of July.

Heat Advisory Issued for our Area...

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY

A HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM THIS EVENING.

* LOCATIONS...NEW YORK CITY.

* HAZARDS...HIGH LEVELS OF HEAT AND HUMIDITY.

* HEAT INDEX VALUES...UP TO 103.

* TIMING...INTO THIS EVENING. THE HIGHEST HEAT INDICES WILL BE EXPERIENCED TUESDAY AFTERNOON.

* IMPACTS...ADVERSE HEALTH AFFECTS WILL BE POSSIBLE IF THE PROPER PRECAUTIONS ARE NOT TAKEN.

Have a Great 4th of July!

"It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more."

-John Adams, July 3rd, 1776

 Independence Day, July 4th, has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1941, but the tradition of Independence Day celebrations goes back to the 18th century and the American Revolution (1775-83). In June of 1776, representatives of the 13 colonies then fighting in the revolutionary struggle weighed a resolution that would declare their independence from Great Britain. On July 2nd, the Continental Congress voted in favor of independence, and two days later its delegates adopted the Declaration of Independence, a historic document drafted by Thomas Jefferson. From 1776 until the present day, 235 years, July 4th has been celebrated as the birth of American independence, with typical festivities ranging from fireworks, parades and concerts to more casual family gatherings and barbecues.