22 with our annual Geneva Giving Trees display. 3, but the Geneva History Museum starts celebrating early, on Nov. This year’s tree lighting is scheduled for Friday, Dec. In the 1970s, Santa’s house found its long-term home on the courthouse lawn, and over the years, several organizations assisted with building his house. The name “Christmas Walk” is first referenced in 1963, and the tree moved back to Fourth and State streets to celebrate the new street lights in the business district. Santa arrived via a Geneva fire truck with sirens and flashing lights. In the 1960s, the tree and Santa’s house were moved to the corner of Second Street and State Street and sponsored by the First National Bank of Geneva, their location at that time. He arrived by helicopter in Wheeler Park in 1952, and an entire Santa’s workshop was built on the courthouse lawn.Ī Christmas parade was held annually in the 1950s, and the Chamber of Commerce and city held outdoor lighting contests. Santa Claus and his reindeer were placed on the northeast corner of the courthouse lawn in 1949. In 1935, Christmas trees were placed in front of stores. Throughout the years, Geneva’s Christmas tree was displayed at several other places, including State and Third streets, and then State and Fourth streets. We believe it will remain as an annual Christmas time event from year to year.” The newspaper reported, “Nearly all of Geneva attended the celebration.
TAKE ME TO THE RIVER FAMILY SECRET WINDOWS
Many homes placed lit candles in their windows as way to take part in the festivities. To entertain those arriving, several men, accompanied by a small orchestra, began playing Christmas carols from the upper room of the school, with the melodies carrying throughout the city. Due to the mass of people (an estimated 1,500 to 2,000) congregating at the school yard (at the corner of South Third and James Streets), the lighting was delayed until 6:45 p.m. Johns River.Geneva’s first downtown Christmas celebration occurred on Christmas Eve in 1916.Ĭalled “a very delightful and happy occasion” by the Geneva Republican newspaper, the event was supposed to begin at 5 p.m. Johns Riverkeeper pledges to honor Stetson’s work by fighting to protect his beloved St. Johns River water to honor of one of our country’s most courageous citizens. I plan on attending, and I will bring a vessel of St. There will be a celebration of Stetson’s life on October 1 at Beluthahatchee. Johns Riverkeeper attorney Michael Howle and the First Amendment Foundation, will argue the case before the 5th District Court of Appeals on October 13- a fitting memorial. In true Stetson Kennedy style, he and Sandra filed a Sunshine Law legal challenge against the District because his Sunshine Law rights (and his First Amendment rights) were violated. The District was not prepared for the overflow crowd, and Stetson was prevented from entering the building. Johns Water Management District to oppose the permit to allow Seminole County to withdraw millions of gallons of water from the St. Stetson and Sandra joined 400 other citizens in Palatka at the St. He fought for these rights during the latter stages of his life.
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He believed all of us, including nature, had rights and we were entitled to have clean air, water and land. He told me his early work transferred easily to the natural world. Stetson stood against racism, and he fought for human rights and justice. He was quick to call himself an environmentalist, a term that did not come into being until Stetson was in his 60s. He believed that early contact with the river made him care about and understand nature for his entire life. Stetson grew up in Jacksonville, and he spent a great deal of time on the river when he was a boy. He also told me about his time travelling Florida with famed African-American writer Zora Neale Hurston when they were both collecting folklore for the Florida Writers Project during the Depression.īut, mostly, we talked about the St. We spoke about his amazing life, including his historic infiltration of the Ku Klux Klan which exposed its secrets to authorities and the public.
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Johns Riverkeeper, and I was blessed to have spent several occasions with him at Beluthahatchee, his home near Fruit Cove. I met Stetson soon after I became the St. Johns River lost a great friend and champion on August 27th when Stetson Kennedy passed away surrounded by members of his family.