Alternative July 4th celebration set for Merrick

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Chartered in 1995 to commemorate our nation's 200th birthday, the Historical Society of the Merricks strives to dedicate itself to the continued illumination of our past as well as to make our present relative.

Each July 4th — for about 40 years — there has been an outdoor meeting of the Society to read the Declaration of Independence line-by-line by the individuals gathered there for that purpose. Some patriotic songs and a bus tour of Merrick historical sites have often been part of that celebration.

In recent years, we met at the Merrick Gazebo or in the garden area at the Merrick Library. Our present health alerts suggest we forego the outdoor mass meeting this year.


Instead, we are proposing that the Merrick residents continue the celebration by appearing out of their front doors at 10 a.m. on July 4th to read the Declaration aloud. Many of us own copies from prior years, and it's available online or as reprints in our newspapers.

The Historical Society of the Merricks Board of Directors,

Lawrence Garfinkel, President

Joseph Baker

Adrienne Garfinkel

Paul Laurson

Betty Lippai

Jay Pitt

Neil Yeoman

Courtesy Historical Society of the Merricks, compiled by Andrew Garcia