Clinton Township Newsletter

4 a p r i l 2 0 2 3 W W W . C L I N T O N T W P N E W S L E T T E R . C O M Hi Julie – I read your March Newsletter with great interest, especially when I came to your Editors Corner comments. You recalled a person who spoke to you about canceling the Newsletter and then wound up talking about his band. I wonder if that was me because I remember talking to you about music, my band, etc. some years ago. Speaking of music I would like to let you know that my jazz group "The Bill Noren Group" will be playing at the North County Branch Library on May 4, from 7:00 - 8:00 pm. Reservations are required. The theme will be called "You and the Night and the Music." We will be playing jazz tunes related to the night such as (but not necessarily including ) Night and Day, Moon River, Night in Tunisia, etc. You get the idea. In addition, on June 8 (also at North County Branch) I will be bringing a Belly Dance show to the library. I do the hand drumming for the dancers and my dancer friends will provide the shimmying. I can't believe I was so crabby that day. Or that I wanted to cancel the Newsletter! Jeez, what a grouch. I love the Newsletter and would never want to miss seeing it peeping out of my mailbox. Thank you for supporting our community and for supporting local artists! – Bill Noren Hi Bill – That's too funny – yes – I was talking about you! I'm glad to hear that you're still reading the CT Newsletter! Thanks, Julie (Readers: please see page 8 of this issue for more information on the Bill Noren Band and their upcoming perfomances!) Hi Julie – In the article, "Remember the Alamo!" Diane Romano's historical account [March 2023 CTNL] is a bit confused. • Daniel Boone lived during the American Revolution and was not at the Alamo nor alive at that time. • Texans who fought there were fighting for "States Rights", which is very different from the concept of freedom for all. • The American Government never declared independence from the Mexican Government (How could it, the United States was an independent nation before Mexico secured it's independence from Spain then France), nor claimed any land belonging to Mexico. Because of fierce fighting by Native Americans in what is today the states of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona, to keep Spaniards and Mexicans out of that region after Spain rounded up Native Americans and sold them into slavery in mines and plantations, Spain then Mexico was unable to permanently settle this region with Spaniards or Mexicans. In an effort to bring settlers in, it was decided to grant land to Europeans and United States citizens (this is how Jim Bowie and Davy Crocket became involved). Many of the Americans who obtained land grants in the Mexican state of Texas were southern slave owners and brought their slaves with them. This caused tension between the Mexican government, which prohibited slavery, and the Texans, which evolved into civil unrest. Santa Ana, the president of Mexico after it gained independence from France, decided to subdue the rebellious Texans. Some Texans, feeling it was their right to govern their state as they wished, took a stand at the Alamo mistakenly thinking the United States army would relieve them. The U.S. Army did not, because this was a concern between those who owned land in the Mexican state of Texas and the Mexican government, and it was against international law for the U.S. to become involved. The U.S. did not militarily engage Santa Ana until his army crossed into the United States, at which time Santa Ana was defeated in battle. Upon his capture, Santa Ana was treated as a Head of State, which he was, by the United States. U.S. officials negotiated with Santa Ana to develop a treaty that was amicable to both countries and the settlers in the Mexican state of Texas. According to the treaty between Mexico, the United States, and the Texans; Texas would become an independent nation that was to be governed by those who settled within its borders. All other lands governed by Mexico north of the Rio Grande would be purchased by the U.S. government from Mexico. Santa Ana agreed to this because Mexico's resources were stretched extremely thin and Mexico did not have the infrastructure nor money needed to successfully govern the vast territory it obtained from France, but would be able to adequately govern the lands south of the Rio Grande from its capital in Mexico City with the funds it would receive from the United States for the northern lands. So, the men who fought at the Alamo were fighting for the right to govern their own state (this is called "states rights" and because one of those rights was the right to enslave others, it was also the issue that led to the American Civil War). – Doreen Trontell, B.A. History, Ithaca College Dear Doreen, Thank you for this information! – Julie Julie: I do not live in Clinton Township, but I want to tell you that the front page of your newsletter (which I pick up at the library) is beautiful. All of your newsletters have great cover pages. I collect them! – Pam Bailey Maher Dear Pam, Thank you so much! Designing the cover is my favorite thing, so I love it that you appreciate them. Keep reading the Clinton Township Newsletter! – Julie letters to the editor

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