May 28, 2010 > Memorial Day Memorial Day By Alissa Gwynn For many people, Memorial Day is typically associated with a day off from work or school. However, this holiday signifies much more; originally dubbed "Decoration Day," (people would decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers) Memorial Day is a holiday to remember and honor those who have died in our nation's service. Memorial Day was established by General John Logan in 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers following the Civil War. Waterloo, New York, is credited with having the first observance on May 5, 1968. After World War I, however, Memorial Day grew from honoring those who perished in the Civil War to those who died fighting in any war. Today, many Southern States also hold their own Memorial days for honoring deceased Confederate soldiers; Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi celebrate Memorial Day in April, while North and South Carolina celebrate on May 10, rather than the national observance the last Monday of May. In December of 2000, Congress passed the "National Moment of Remembrance Act" to "encourage the people of the United States to give something back to their country, which provides them so much freedom and opportunity..." Additionally, the act also encourages all Americans to take a minute of silence at 3 p.m. local time this Sunday afternoon to honor those who have died for our country. Many community events are scheduled for Memorial Day weekend. Whether a barbeque, attending a Memorial Day Ceremony, visiting a cemetery, or simply just observing a moment of silence, there are many ways to show respect and honor the brave men and women who have died in our nation's service. Some public events in honor of Memorial Day are shown below: Friday, May 28 Memorial Day Barbeque Noon City of Fremont Senior Center 40086 Paseo Padre Parkway, Fremont $5 for Senior Center Members, $7 for non-members (510) 790-6600 Saturday, May 29 & Monday, May 31 Memorial Weekend Steam 10 a.m.; 12 p.m.; 2 p.m. SP2472 rides through Niles Canyon Sunol Depot 6 Kilkare Road, Sunol (925) 862-9063 www.ncry.org Memorial Day Ceremony Monday, May 31 11 a.m. - Noon Honor our veterans, free picnic and BBQ Lone Tree Cemetery 24591 Fairview Ave., Hayward (510) 247-0777 Flight 93 Memorial Day Ceremony Monday, May 31 2 - 2:30 p.m. Remember and honor the 9/11 heroes Sugar Mill Landing Park Alvarado-Niles Rd. and Dyer St., Union City (510) 247-0777 Memorial Day Ceremony 9 a.m. Veterans Memorial Park City Hall, Milpitas 455 E. Calaveras Blvd., Milpitas (408) 586-3000 Memorial Day Open House Monday, May 31 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Biking, hiking, picnicking and more Coyote Hills Regional Park 8000 Patterson Ranch Rd., Fremont (510) 544-3220