Suzanne Killian

NIAGARA, Wis. — My husband and I recently spent five evenings watching the PBS special about the American Revolution. It was the most interesting 10 hours of programming we have seen in a long time and could not have been timed better considering the state of our world at present. Written by Ken Burns over the course of 10 years of research, it teaches us about the most significant event in the life of our nation as we have never before been taught. Throughout the documentary, we hear a variety of viewpoints and experience the Revolution through the eyes of those who actually lived it.

As Burns explains: “The American Revolution was at once a war for independence, a war of conquest, a civil war, and a world war, fought by neighbors on American farms and between global powers an ocean or more away. It impacted millions from Vermont’s Green Mountains to the swamps of South Carolina, from Indian Country to the Iberian Peninsula. In defeating the British Empire and giving birth to a new nation, the American Revolution turned the world upside-down. Thirteen colonies on the Atlantic Coast united in rebellion, won their independence, and established a republic that still endures.”

We were taught in school that the “cause” of the Revolution was Britain’s insistence on taxing the colonies; a practice that irritated the colonists to no end — especially the tax on tea. But there was so much more involved than that. As the documentary so accurately unveiled, “it was shaped, perhaps above all else, by the aspirations of ordinary people to make fulfilling lives for themselves and their families, to be secure in their possessions, safe in their homes, free to worship as they wished, and to improve their lives by availing themselves of opportunities that seemed to lie within their grasp.

The causes of the Revolution were so various and complex, it is close to impossible to point to one or two as the culprit. We can, however, see very clearly the most important “results” of the Revolution. So, every one of us who is alive today and enjoy the freedoms we have as Americans should understand and appreciate them.

First, the American Revolution secured the independence of the United States from the rule of Great Britain and separated it from the British Empire. While it is entirely possible that the 13 colonies would have become independent during the 19th or 20th century, as other British colonies did, the resulting nation would certainly have been very different than the one that emerged, independent, from the Revolutionary War. The United States was the first nation in modern times to achieve its independence in a national war of liberation. They were also the first to explain their reasons and their aims in a Declaration of Independence, a model adopted by dozens of other countries over the past 250 years as they sought their own freedom from oppressors.

Second, the American Revolution established a republic, with a government dedicated to the interests of ordinary people rather than the interests of kings and aristocrats. The United States was the first large republic since ancient times and the first one to emerge from the revolutions that rocked the world, from South America to eastern Europe, through the middle of the 19th century. The American Revolution influenced, to varying degrees, all of the Atlantic revolutions that would follow. Most of which led to the establishment of republican governments. While some of those republics did not endure, the American republic has, due in part to the resilience of our Constitution, which was the product of more than a decade of debate. Today most of the world’s nations are at least nominal republics due in no small way to the success of the American republic.

Third, the American Revolution created an American national identity — a sense of community based on shared history and culture, mutual experience, and belief in a common destiny. The Revolution drew together the 13 colonies, each with its own history and individual identity, first in resistance to Britain’s tyranny, then in rebellion, and finally in a shared struggle for independence. From the complex, chaotic and violent experiences of the Revolution, we Americans developed our “origin story,” It is a narrative filled with heroes and villains, epic struggles and personal sacrifices. Our founding fathers are well known to us and have served as examples of our national ideals and aspirations. While our American national identity has certainly been expanded and enriched by the shared experiences of two centuries of our nation’s life, our modern experiences remain shaped by the legacy of the Revolution and are mostly incomprehensible without reference to that monumental struggle.

Fourth, the American Revolution committed the new nation to ideals of liberty, equality, natural and civil rights, and responsible citizenship and made them the basis of a new political order. None of these ideals were new or originated with Americans. They were all rooted in the philosophy of ancient Greece and Rome and imagined by the political writers and philosophers of the 18th-century Enlightenment. And what was only imagined during the Enlightenment was actually created by the American Revolution — a nation in which the ideals of liberty, equality, natural and civil rights, and responsible citizenship are the basis of law and the foundation of a free society.

The generation that forged the Revolution did not complete the work of creating a truly free society. This task requires overcoming layers of social injustice, exploitation, and other forms of institutionalized oppression that have existed among us for centuries. Additionally, the ignorance, bigotry, and greed that support them must also be eliminated. One of the fundamental challenges of a political order based on principles of universal rights is that it empowers ignorant, bigoted, callous, selfish, and greedy people in the same way it empowers the wise and virtuous. For this reason, political progress in free societies can be painfully, frustratingly slow, with periods of energetic change interspersed with periods of inaction or even retreat. The flaw lies not in our Revolutionary beginnings or our Revolutionary ideals, but in human nature. Perseverance alone is the answer.

The lessons learned as a result of our American Revolution are not simply to be stored away in our history books. They are living legacies that have become even more important now as we face the challenges of the modern world. Without understanding these lessons, we cannot understand our history and will find our present confused and our future dark — doomed to repeating the same mistakes and failures.

We are responsible, however, for understanding what our Revolution has taught us, for sharing them, and for living them. When we do, we recognize our common origins and realize we are not so very different after all. We all came from the same struggle and can recognize our present challenges as something we share and for which we are mutually responsible to correct so the legacy of those Revolutionary ideals can live on and continue to improve life for all mankind.

Source: The American Revolution Institute’s article “Why the American Revolution Matters,” Feb. 18, 2019.

NURSING HOMES/SENIOR LIVING FACILITIES

Freeman Nursing and Rehabilitation Community

Kingsford

906-774-1530

Group activities are ongoing, and doors are unlocked for visits. Anyone who would like to entertain residents is welcome. Volunteers are also needed to help with crafts and other activities. On the third Tuesday of every month at 2 p.m. the center hosts a Memory Café – a fun hour to spend with others. For more information, contact Jaime Hathaway at jlhathaway@protonmail.com. The program runs on donations.

Sunday: Visit with your neighbor, 10 a.m.; work on the weekend packet, 6 p.m.

Monday: You Tube funnies, 10 a.m.; trivia, 11:45 a.m.; bingo, 2 p.m.

Tuesday: Nail spa, 10 a.m.; trivia, 11:45 a.m.; coloring, 2 p.m.

Wednesday: Bible study, 10 a.m.; whiteboard, 10:30 a.m.; painting rocks with a group named “Just Rocks,” 1:30 p.m.

Thursday: Honey bee talk with Bernie, 10 a.m.; crafts, 1:30 p.m.

Friday: Resident council meeting, 11 a.m.; bingo, 2 p.m.

Saturday: Puzzle packet, 10 a.m.; “The Wall” on Game Show Network channel, 7 p.m.

Iron County Medical Care Facility

Crystal Falls

906-874-1501

Sunday: No information provided

Monday: Resident photo day, 9:15 a.m.-3 p.m.; exercise, 10:45 a.m.; room visits, 1 p.m.; Sunshine Club, 2:30 p.m.; night bingo, 6 p.m.

Tuesday: Facility decorating, 9 – 11 a.m.; balloon toss, 10:45 a.m.; wildlife film, 1:30 p.m.; Dan’s songs for seniors, 2 p.m.

Holiday movie, 6 p.m.

Wednesday: Just friends, 9 a.m.; Catholic Mass, 10 a.m.; parachute, 10:45 a.m.; Auxiliary beer and pizza party, 3 p.m.; night bingo, 6 p.m.

Thursday: Puzzler, 9:30 a.m.; bowling, 10 a.m.; Bible study, 1 p.m.; travel film, 1:30 p.m.; happy hour with Jim, 2 p.m.

Friday: Crafts with Bea, 9:30 a.m.; activity council, 10:30 a.m.; galleria, 1 p.m.; reindeer games, 2 p.m.; holiday movie, 6 p.m.

Saturday: Room-to-room bingo; high rollers, 9:30 a.m.; geri-gym, 10:45 a.m.; musical outing, 1 p.m.; social hour, 2 p.m.  

Optalis Healthcare

Kingsford

906-774-4805

Sunday: Sunday devotional, 9:30 a.m.; room visits, 11 a.m.; games or a movie, 1 p.m.

Monday: Coffee time, 9:30 a.m.; room visits, 11 a.m.; tree decorating, 1 p.m.; bingo, 2 p.m.; after dinner reminiscing, 5:30 p.m.

Tuesday: Coffee time, 9 a.m.; resident council meeting, 9:30 a.m.; room visits, 11 a.m.; community art project I, 1:30 p.m.

Wednesday: Coffee time, 9:30 a.m.; Dr. Pol, 10 a.m.; room visits, 11 a.m.; bingo, 2 p.m.; desserts and conversations, 5:30 p.m.

Thursday: Coffee time, 9:30 a.m.; Rockefeller Christmas Tree lighting, 10 a.m.; room visits, 11 a.m.; community art project II, 1:30 p.m.

Friday: Coffee time, 9:30 a.m.; daily chronicle, 10 a.m.; room visits, 11 a.m.; bingo, 2 p.m.

Saturday: Manicures, 9:30 a.m.; room visits, 11 a.m.; Yahtzee, 1:30 p.m.; St. Nicholas Day.

Maryhill Manor Nursing Home

Niagara, Wis.

715-251-3172

Families are allowed to attend activities and encouraged to join.

Sunday: Word makers, 10 a.m.; movie and popcorn, 1:30 p.m.; church service, 2:30 p.m.

Monday: Rosary/communion service, 9 a.m.; pamper and polish, 10 a.m.; Christmas craft, 2 p.m.

Tuesday: Rosary/communion service, 9 a.m.; mugs and muffins, 10 a.m.; bowling, 2 p.m.

Wednesday: Rosary/communion service, 9 a.m.; baking Christmas cookies, 10 a.m.; jokereno, 2 p.m.; community light tour, 5 p.m.

Thursday: Rosary, 9 a.m.; Catholic Mass, 9:30 a.m.; hangman, 10 a.m.; Whammo, 2 p.m.; Chaplet of Divine Mercy, 3 p.m.

Friday: The Breakfast Club, 7 a.m.; Yahtzee, 10 a.m.; happy hour with Jim on the piano, 2 p.m.

Saturday: Uno, 10 a.m.; chapel decorating, 10 a.m.; prize bingo, 2 p.m.; read a book.

Northshore Healthcare

Florence, Wis.

715-528-4833

No information was available.

Victorian Pines

Iron Mountain

906-774-5158

Sunday: Juice time, 10 a.m.; Bible study, 1:30 p.m.

Monday: Juice time, 10 a. m.; exercise, 11 a.m.; bingo and refreshments, 1:30 p.m.

Tuesday: Juice time, 10 a.m.; exercise, 11 a.m.; trivia and refreshments, 1:30 p.m.

Wednesday: Juice time, 10 a.m.; exercise, 11 a.m.; bingo and refreshments, 1:30 p.m.

Thursday: Juice time, 10 a.m.; exercise, 11 a.m.; refreshments, 1:30 p.m.

Friday: Juice time, 10 a.m.; exercise, 11 a.m.; refreshments, 1:30 p.m.

Saturday: Juice time, 10 a.m.

Pinecrest Medical Care Facility

Powers

906-497-5244

Sunday: Morning visits and reality orientation; Bunco, 10 a.m.; trivia, 11:15 a.m.; church services, 1:30 p.m.; Sunday funday, 2:30 p.m.; Sunday night football; coloring pages; daily chronicles.

Monday: Morning visits and reality orientation; open room, 9:30 a.m.; Christmas party and cocoa, 10 a.m.; manicure Monday, 2 p.m.; Bible studies, 3 p.m.; book club, 4 p.m.; “Monday Night Football,” 6:45 p.m.; daily chronicles.

Tuesday: Morning visits and reality orientation; open room and baking, 9:30 a.m.; juice hour/who-what-where, 11 a.m.; bingo, 2 p.m.; garbage, 4 p.m.; daily chronicles.

Wednesday: Morning visits and reality orientation; open room, 9:30 a.m.; travelogue, 11 a.m.; crafty Wednesday, 2 p.m.; rummy, 4 p.m.; daily chronicles; Christmas spirit drop-off.

Thursday: Morning visits and reality orientation; bingo, 10:30 a.m.; cooking with activities, 11:15 a.m.; bunco, 3 p.m.; pondering prompts, 4:15 p.m.; “Thursday Night Football,” 7 p.m.; daily chronicles.

Friday: Morning visits and reality orientation; Catholic Mass, 10:30 a.m.; gift shop/trivia, 11:15 a.m.; karaoke, 2 p.m.; book club, 4 p.m.; Christmas light tour, 5 p.m.; daily chronicles.

Saturday: Morning visits and reality orientation; chair exercise, 10 a.m.; juice hour, 11 a.m.; Bible studies, 11 a.m.; bingo, 1:45 p.m.; one-to-one visits, 3 p.m.; activity packets, daily chronicles.

SENIOR CENTERS

Amasa Center

906-822-7284

Menu for the week —

Tuesday: Chicken Alfredo, vegetables, fruit.

Wednesday: BLT wrap, wild rice, yogurt.

Thursday: Beef stew, cole slaw, bread.

Breen Center

Kingsford

906-774-5110

Now open for dine-in eating Monday through Thursday — serving at noon. Friday and night meals are on hold indefinitely. Carryout meals are available. Soup and salad bar are also available.

Menu for the week —

Monday: Spaghetti with meatballs, green beans, garlic bread.

Tuesday: Hamburger gravy over mashed potatoes, carrots, dinner roll.

Wednesday: Celebrating all December birthdays — Boiled dinner, biscuit, applesauce, cake.

Thursday: Pork roast, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, dinner roll.

Crystal Falls Center

Head Cook: Easton Anderson

Assistant Cooks: Debbie Bigalke (Mondays) and Jess Anderson (Tuesdays/Wednesdays)

906-875-6709

The center serves meals for dine-in or takeout — call the center by 1 p.m. to make reservations or to place an order. All food is purchased from local vendors. All dinners include warm vegetables, salad bar, soup, homemade desserts, coffee, tea, or milk. Salad bar begins at 4:30 p.m. and dinner is served at 5 p.m. Pickup for takeout meals is 4 p.m. — call ahead and leave a message with a phone number. A volunteer will deliver meals to homebound citizens only.

Menu for the week —

Monday: Lasagna, garlic bread.

Tuesday: Chicken pot pie.

Wednesday: Pulled pork sandwiches, homemade potato salad.

Dickinson-Iron Community Services Agency

DICSA

Iron Mountain

906-774-2256, ext. 230 or 235.

This is a Meals on Wheels program only. Home-delivered meals only — call to make arrangements.

Menu for the week —

Monday: Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes with gravy, corn.

Tuesday: Sweet and sour chicken, fried rice, Oriental vegetables, Mandarin oranges, fortune cookie.

Wednesday: Chili, cornbread, side salad.

Thursday: Pork roast, roasted potatoes, candied carrots, cookies.

Friday: Cranberry maple chicken, buttered noodles, peas.

Note: All meals include a choice of skim milk, juice, or no beverage.

For more information, call Christine McMahon at 906-774-2256.

Crystal Lake Center

Iron Mountain

906-828-1776

Schedule for the week:

Monday: Les Artistes art club, noon to 3 p.m.; woodcarvers, starting at 9 a.m.

Tuesday: Cards — Pinochle and cribbage, noon to 4 p.m.; Happy Quilters, noon to 3 p.m.

Wednesday: Bingo, 1 to 3 p.m.; cards cost 25 cents with 10 games played. 

Thursday: Spinning Spools quilting, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.; board games, 1 to 3 p.m.

Friday: Cards — Smear, noon to 4 p.m.; chess, noon.

Felch Center

906-246-3559

Head cook: Joan Wickman, 906-246-3559

Program president: Lisa Casey, 906-282-7899.

Salad bar opens at 11 a.m., with the meal at 11:30 a.m. and dessert to follow. Evening meal is served every third Wednesday of the month, with sponsored activities. Takeout meals are available. Delivery offered to homebound residents within Felch, West Branch and Breen townships.

Menu for the week:

No information was available.

Aging and Disability Resource Center of Florence County, Wis.

715-528-4890

Menu for the week —

Monday: Pizza casserole, spinach salad, fruit.

Tuesday: Barbecue chicken, baked sweet potato, peas, fruit.

Wednesday: Sloppy Joes, baked beans, potato salad, apple cranberry crisp.

Thursday: Chicken noodle casserole, side salad, fruit.

Friday: Tuna and vegetable pasta salad, toasted cheese sandwich, fruit.

Note: All meals served with whole grain bread, butter and milk.

Aurora-Hillcrest Dining Center

Serving on site Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 11:30 a.m. RSVP by calling 715-589-4491. Homebound meals will be delivered on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

Florence Community Center

Serving at 11:30 a.m. Monday through Thursday. For reservations, call 715-528-4261. Florence homebound meals will be delivered on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Fence Town Hall

Closed on Wednesday only. RSVP by calling 715-589-4491.

Tipler Town Hall

Serving at noon on second Thursday only. RSVP by calling 715-528-4261.

Hermansville Center

Coordinator: Barb Peters

906-498-7735

Center is open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. Meals are served through the Menominee-Delta-Schoolcraft Community Action Agency in Escanaba. Meals-On-Wheels program for those who are homebound is available.

Monday: Mushroom and Swiss burger, tater tots, vegetable, fruit cocktail.

Tuesday: French toast sausage bake, oven potatoes, warm applesauce, fruit juice.

Wednesday: Apple glazed pork chop, garlic mashed potatoes, green beans, diced peaches, whole wheat bread.

Thursday: Cream of potato soup, tuna salad spread, whole wheat sandwich bread, carrot raisin salad, tropical fruit.

Milk available at all meals.

Iron River Center

906-265-6134

Salad bar opens at 11 a.m. with meal served at 11:30 a.m. No night meals are available. Meals can be prepared for carry out.

Menu for the week —

Monday: Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn.

Tuesday: Sweet and sour chicken, fried rice, Oriental vegetables, Mandarin oranges, fortune cookie.

Wednesday: Chili, cornbread, side salad.

Thursday: Pork roast, roasted potatoes, candied carrots, cookies.

All meals are served with choice of skim milk or juice and fruit.

Niagara Senior Center/Café

715-251-1603

The center is open, and dinner is served at noon on Monday through Thursday. Reservations are required one day in advance. Suggested donation is $5 for those older than 60 and $11 for those age 60 or younger. Transportation is available.

Tuesday: Liver and onions, garlic mashed potatoes, broccoli, peaches, wheat dinner roll.

Wednesday: Sloppy Joe with a bun, glazed carrots, potato salad, fruited Jell-O.

Thursday: Chicken ala king, noodles, mixed vegetables, wheat dinner roll, fresh banana.

Bingo at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Norway Center

Director: Alicia Rochon

906-563-8716

Open for dine-in eating beginning at 11:30 a.m. Salad bar available from 11 to 11:30 a.m. Takeout meals will remain available for pick-up from 11:15 to 11:30 a.m. Let staff know if planning to dine in or pick up.

Menu for the week —

Monday: Chicken Alfredo with penne noodles, breadstick, broccoli, peaches.

Tuesday: Spaghetti with meat sauce, garlic bread, cauliflower, pears.

Wednesday: Beef stroganoff over noodles, biscuit, mixed vegetables, peaches.

Thursday: Barbecue baked chicken, oven-roasted potatoes, green beans, apple sauce.

Center activity schedule:

Mondays and Thursdays — Exercise at 10 a.m. and card bingo after the meal.

Monday through Thursday — Card game 101, noon to 3 p.m. For more information, call Joe at 906-563-5587.

Tuesdays — Quilting and sewing.

Wednesdays — Ceramics and crocheting.

Last Monday of each month — Book club at 9 a.m.

Second Thursday of each month — Birthdays and bingo.

Sagola Center

906-542-3273

Dine-in meals served. Salad bar opens at 11 a.m. and meal served at 11:30 a.m. Carry out meals also available. Dine-in meal is $5 and take out meal is $6. Reservations are required — call 906-542-3273 and specify if planning to dine in or take out. Come and enjoy a meal with us — all are welcome — any age. Menu for the week —

Tuesday: Open-face turkey sandwich, mashed potatoes and gravy.

Wednesday: Wet burrito.

Thursday: Chicken ala king, biscuits.