The March (Invasion) of the Wooden Soldiers

[BLeafe]

Going up Clinton Place today on the Halloween block, I counted 10 Christmas-decorated houses and 8 had multiple wooden soldiers. Turning right on Summit, I saw a house a few blocks down whose side faced Summit that had a half-dozen of them on that side.

I love Christmas decorations, but not by committee. I'm wondering if there was a going-out-of-business sale at a local wooden soldier factory.

Merry Christmas, you all.

[Homer Jones]

HO, HO,HO

[just watching]

That's been a Christmas tradition on Clinton Place for at least 15 years.  These are hand-crafted by a local artist and exclusively given to residents of Clinton Place. People on nearby blocks have been told "no", they can't have them. Michael Guerra has them on Summit Ave only because he used to live on Clinton Place, and displayed them there.  It's an expression of unity both in terms of a sense of community, as well as a political statement of unity.  Most people in the Fairmount section of Hackensack (and a good number in the rest of the city) know what group of people owns the soldiers. People who don't know are either new to the community, or they are just completely disconnected from the happenings of the city.  I find the soldiers to be an enjoyable sight as a work of art. I would hope that people respect other people's rights to association and passive artistic expression whether they agree or not.  Bill of Rights --- Freedom of Association.

[BLeafe]

People who don't know are either new to the community, or they are just completely disconnected from the happenings of the city.

I hope I don't fit that description, but I am guilty of ignorance of this tradition and will enjoy the unity it represents from now on.

Thanks for the lump of coal, Santa.