Stamford Connecticut's Cove Island Park

By Nate Feldman

The most amazing thing about Cove Island Park is that although it is relatively small, 83 acres in all according to Wikipedia, there are so many activities you can do there that you can spend an entire weekend and not have done everything the park has to offer.  

Located in Stamford, Connecticut, it is ideally situated between the Long Island Sound and Holly Pond.  Outdoor enthusiasts have the opportunity to enjoy spectacular views on one of its beaches, or, in my personal favorite part of the park, on top of a small bluff overlooking the sound.  People interested in fitness can run, walk, or bike around the one-mile trail looping around the park.  Along the trail there is a fitness station with a variety of exercise equipment.  There are tennis courts near the entrance of the park.  Beside them is the Terry Connors Rink, an indoor skating rink which is home to local youth hockey and skating clubs.  In the middle of the park is a large field where people can play games, fly kites, or just sit and relax.  If you have small children, there is a playground with high quality equipment and a swing set.  There is also a pavilion which is ideal for picnics or any large gathering.  

In addition to its outdoor attractions, Cove Island Park has amazing educational opportunities.  A small white house in the park is the home of the SoundWaters organization.  SoundWaters is dedicated to preserving the wildlife of the Long Island Sound and educates 30,000 local students annually to become environmentally responsible citizens.  Inside the white house are small aquariums with fish and turtles from the Sound.  They offer tours of the Sound in the Schooner SoundWaters, a three masted sail ship.  There is also a summer camp for children teaching boating skills of different levels.  

Cove Island Park is also very popular with bird lovers.  The Connecticut Audubon Society highlights on its website that the park is home to a large number of species including some unusual ones (see "http://ct.audubon.org/conservation/cove-island-park").  It further mentions there are many types of butterflies there.

So, if you are in the Stamford area, I highly recommend you visit Cove Island Park.  There are many ways to enjoy yourself there no matter what your interests are.  

An Afternoon at Donaldson Park

By Nate Feldman

The pond at Donaldson Park

If you want to go out to a great place, go to Donaldson Park.  Donaldson Park is a multipurpose recreational area in Highland Park, New Jersey.  It is located on the Raritan River.  People go there for a variety of reasons, but they have a wonderful time when they do.

Donaldson Park has many great features.  It has a wonderful view of the city of New Brunswick, the home of Rutgers University, right across the river.  The park has a trail looping around it.  People go walking and running on it.  There is a small pond along the trail.  It has benches by its side.  Some people go fishing in the pond.  There are also many sports fields, as well as basketball and tennis courts in the middle of the park.  People have games there.  The park has several playgrounds for children. Children have a lot of fun on them.  It also has many picnic tables and small pavilions.  People have lunch there and sometimes small parties when the weather is warm.  If you have a dog, you can bring it to the park.  The park has special areas where dogs can run without a leash.  The dogs can have a great time with other dogs in these locations. 

So, if you are in the New Brunswick or Highland Park areas of New Jersey, you should go to Donaldson Park.  You will have an amazing day there.

A view into New Brunswick from the Raritan River

Grant and Civil Rights Continued

By Nate Feldman

Another area in which Grant excelled in Civil Rights was in his relationship with Native Americans.  A recent article in the Smithsonian magazine highlighted Grant's desire to make all Native Americans citizens of the country (Stockwell).  As President, he appointed Ely Parker, a Seneca Indian, to be head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the first Native American to be given this position.  Parker had been a longtime friend who had served with Grant during the Civil War.  Together with Grant, they formulated a plan to protect tribes from encroaching white settlers and to help them become a greater part of the American public. 

Grant and Civil Rights Continued

By Nate Feldman

Once African Americans had the right to vote, measures had to be taken that these rights were preserved. Unfortunately, in response to the end of slavery, the Ku Klux Klan was formed to intimidate and frighten freed blacks from taking an active role in society. This organization, made up initially of former Confederate soldiers, would set out at night and destroy property and even kill people (“Ku Klux Act Passed by Congress”). Their objective was to keep the black community in a weak position.

In response to this, Grant passed the Third Force Act, also known as the Ku Klux Act, which gave the United States government permission to send in military forces to areas where the Klan was active and protect the local population from them. In 1871, nine South Carolina counties where Klan activity was prominent would be put under military control because of this new law (ibid). This aggressive measure shows that Grant was not just willing to pass laws to give blacks rights, but he was willing to create laws that meant sure those rights were kept at all costs.

Grant and Civil Rights

By Nate Feldman

The first thing that made Ulysses S. Grant’s presidency remarkable was his advocacy for civil rights and equality in the United States. Early during his first term as President, the 15^th amendment, which gave African Americans the right to vote, was ratified by the U.S. Congress, which at the time was largely controlled by Grant’s Republican party. Andrew Glass in a 2016 article for Politico states that at the time, President Grant claimed this achievement, “completes the greatest civil change and constitutes the most important event that has occurred since the nation came to life.” (“U.S. adopts 15^th Amendment, March 30, 1870”)

Ulysses S. Grant's Presidency

By Nate Feldman

Ulysses S. Grant is most revered in the United States as the General of the Union Army that forced Robert E. Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia to surrender in 1865, effectively ending the American Civil War between the northern and southern states.  Less celebrated, however, is his role as the 18th President of the United States from 1869-1877.  Remembered by many as a chronic alcoholic who was embroiled in scandal, many historians do not rank Grant as one of our better presidents.  In fact, an article in the Economist magazine states that presidential historians ranked him as the second worst president of all time in a 1948 survey (See "Today's historians have a higher opinion of Ulysses S. Grant.")  While a lot of the criticism of Grant's presidency has merit, recent research has shown that some of the negative representations of Grant are a bit unfair as he accomplished a great deal with long lasting effects that can still be felt in our country.  Over the next couple of weeks, I will explore the presidency of Ulysses S. Grant and his many achievements.  I will argue that Grant was in fact one of our better presidents and that the unfortunate scandals that maligned his second term in office created an enduring misconception of him as incompetent when he was in fact an outstanding leader.

Ice Scraper 5K wraps up Lehigh Valley Road Runner's Winter Season

By Nate Feldman

The 5K race held at the Lehigh Valley Parkway in Allentown, PA on Sunday morning was the fourth and final race in the Lehigh Valley Road Runner's winter series of races.  The race looped around the parkway, a part of Allentown endowed with natural beauty.  Runners enjoyed bagels, sports drinks, and hot chocolate after the race.

The Lehigh Valley Roadrunners, an organization made up of running enthusiasts, holds a series of races throughout the year in Allentown and other surrounding towns as a way of promoting long distance racing to people in the community. 

Restaurant Review: Mi Pais Brings Homemade Colombian Food to the Main Line

By Nate Feldman

There was a time when I had to get out of the Philadelphia suburbs if I wanted to enjoy quality international food.  But over the past decade, more and more restaurants with food from a variety of countries have arrived on the Main Line, making it much easier to experience all kinds of cuisine without going a significant distance. 

I appreciated this while having dinner at Mi Pais, a small Colombian restaurant in Frazer, PA on Route 30.  The inside is anything but pretentious, but don't let its simple setup fool you.  The food here is really good.

I ordered the Bandeja Paisa, which they call Bandeja Mi Pais, one of the most famous Colombian dishes that contains rice, beans, a fried egg, Colombian bacon, chorizo, steak, plantains, and a slice of avocado.  Everything seemed fresh and had an excellent flavor.  Although the waitress prodded me to try their empanadas, a famous Latin pastry stuffed with any combination of meat, potatoes, cheese etc., I said this would have to wait for another visit.

Mi Pais is an excellent way for people in Philadelphia's suburbs to enjoy authentic Latin food without making a major journey outside of the area. 

Sports: Philly Fans Purchase Phillies Tickets En Masse

By Nate Feldman

On Wednesday, Philadelphia sports fans heard the news they had long awaited for the entire winter: the Philadelphia Phillies had come to terms with free agent outfielder Bryce Harper.  The club agreed to terms with the 6-time all star to a record setting 13 year, $330 million dollar deal, the biggest contract money wise in professional sports history.

Immediately after word got out, Philadelphia fans set out to purchase tickets for the upcoming season.  According to 94.1 WIP, a local sports talk radio station, 100,000 tickets have been sold since the announcement of the signing. 

Philadelphia fans are hoping the addition of Harper to the lineup, in addition to several other moves the club has made this offseason, should make their baseball team a legitimate World Series contender for the first time since the 2011 season.