CNJ+ June 2024

CELEBRATING INDEPENDENCE DAY WITH A BANG By Liz Clearman

ligious ceremonies. During the Renaissance in Eu rope, pyrotechnic schools were popular, especially in Italy. Italians became the first culture to make fireworks colorful using various metals and other additives — prior to that, most displays were sim ply orange with some faint gold traces. The earliest recorded display of fireworks in England was in 1486 for Henry VII’s wedding day, and they didn’t make it over to the New World until Captain John Smith set them off in Jamestown in 1608. July 4th, 1776 was the date we all know as the signing and adoption of the Declaration of Inde pendence by Congress after the Revolutionary Proposed regulations related to the new clean vehicle critical mineral and battery components go into effect April 18 The Internal Revenue Service published proposed regulations today in the Federal Register related to certain requirements that must be met for critical mineral and battery components for the new clean vehicle credit. The critical mineral and battery component requirements apply to ve hicles placed in service on or after April 18, 2023, the day after the No tice of Proposed Rulemaking is published in the Federal Register. New clean vehicles placed in service on or after April 18, 2023, are sub ject to the critical mineral and battery component requirements even if the vehicle was ordered or purchased before April 18, 2023. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) allows a maximum credit of $7,500 per vehicle, consisting of $3,750 in the case of a vehicle that meets cer tain requirements relating to critical minerals and $3,750 in the case of a vehicle that meets certain requirements relating to battery components. To check if a specific make and model meets the critical mineral and battery components, visit Fuel Economy.gov. Reminder: War. While the majority of the delegates didn’t actually sign the actual doc ument until August 2nd, the first reading of the Declaration on July 8 in front of local troops in Pennsylvania and New Jersey did spur on some small celebrations. The first organized celebration of Independence Day, however, wasn’t until July 4th, 1777 in Boston, when Colonel Thomas Crafts of the Sons of Liberty set off fireworks and other shells. Other cities continued to host their own celebrations that included picnics, parades, and fireworks, but Boston was the first city to officially declare July 4th a holiday in 1783; Congress established Independence Day as a national holiday in 1870. Source: history.com FREE ESTIMATES For All Services CALL 609-448-3893 TODAY! Locally Owned & Operated! Customer Satisfaction Is Our Specialty!

Fireworks are a time-honored tradition for marking the Fourth of July in our nation — with Americans spending over $1 billion on them each year — but have you ever wondered why we use these pyrotechnic contraptions to acknowledge In dependence Day? I’ve never really thought about it, so I decided this was the perfect time to explore a bit. Let’s start with the actual history, dating back to around 200 B.C. in China (this point seems to be disputed a bit amongst historians; many believe that fireworks originated in China while others claim they came from the Middle East or India). Around 600-900 A.D., Chinese alchemists in TIRED OF THE COLD? THINKING OF MOVING TO FLORIDA? vented an early type of gunpowder (this wasn’t necessarily intentional as they were thought to be trying to create an elixir for immortality, possibly) by mixing saltpeter, charcoal, sulfur, and other ingredients. They stuffed this explosive mixture into bamboo shoots that were thrown into fire, creating a loud bang — and the first fireworks were born. Eventually, they replaced the bamboo stalks with paper tubes and discovered that these explosive cre ations could be used in military skirmishes to fire at their enemies, which became the first known rockets. By the 13th century, fireworks became more common ways to celebrate military victories and also to provide a spark to public celebrations and re HEATHERSELLSPALMBEACH.COM CALL TODAY! 561.313.4432 139 N. County Rd, Unit 15 Palm Beach, FL 33480 A PORTION OF ALL PROCEEDS GO TO HELP THE SHELTER DOGS Specializing in Waterfront and gated Golf Communities. Serving all of Palm Beach County from Port St. Lucie to Delray Beach and every where in between. 25+ years of knowledge.

Millstone Water Treatment Co.

A division of

• Water Treatment • Water Filtration • Water Softeners

• Neutralizers • Iron Removal • Bad Odor Treatment • Nitrate Filters • UV Lights • Chlorine Reduction • Water Tanks • VFD Pump Installation • Well Drilling

for over 20 years Thank you CNJ For Your Many Referrals and Making Us Your Trusted Water Treatment Company!

WWW.WBDRILLING.COM • WWW.MILLSTONEWATERTREATMENT.COM Master Well Driller Lic #632315

14

CNJ+ | FORMERLY THE MILLSTONE TIMES

JUNE 2024

GUNTHERPUBLICATIONS.COM

31