I resisted the temptation during a trip last weekend to Washington, D.C., to buy a denim ball cap that read “We the People.”
And during the May primary, I came close to declaring myself a socialist just to creep out the ladies at my precinct (before realizing I really don’t know all that much about socialism, other than that Fox News is against it).
But I’d like to use this space today to publicly thank a veteran.
Just one veteran.
The one.
His name I do not know — whether he served his country during World War I or the Mexican-American War or the Civil War or the invasion of Grenada, I know not.
And apparently, nobody else does, either.
So we just named the park Veteran’s Park.
It’s his. All his.
Well, on second thought, I’d like to think “Veteran’s Park” was so named to honor all local veterans — not just the one.
But somewhere along the way, someone misplaced the apostrophe — or added one where it’s not needed — and one veteran ended up taking ownership over the whole stretch of land.
The spelling of this local park has become a particular issue in my corner of the newsroom this time of year.
It seems we can’t figure out whether to call the site of the Summer Arts Festival “Veteran’s Park” — the official name used by the Springfield Arts Council and, more importantly, the National Trail Parks and Recreation District — or Veterans Park.
When I started writing for the paper, my first few stories about the Summer Arts Fest initially listed the venue as “Veteran’s Park.”
That’s when a copy editor arrived at my desk (I wouldn’t wish that upon my worst enemies) to explain that, no matter what the park district thinks, it shouldn’t be Veteran’s Park, because that would imply it’s just for the one veteran.
It should be Veterans Park — a park named in honor of all veterans.
It made sense to me, so no matter how many brochures or signs get printed bearing the spelling “Veteran’s Park,” it’s almost always spelled “Veterans Park” in the News-Sun.
Done deal, right?
Well, WWI was supposed to be “the war to end all wars,” too.
This fight ain’t over.
For the past couple of summers, I’ve tussled with a co-worker — I wouldn’t call it a full-scale war yet; more like a border skirmish — about the spelling.
She thinks (and I’ll keep her anonymous because she wouldn’t want to be publicly associated with my column) that we should obey National Trails, er, National Trail and spell it the way they spell it.
But the thing is — go ahead and call me an anti-government wacko here — I don’t trust the park and rec district.
I recently received a letter from a Mr. Robert Dudek here in Springfield containing photo evidence of yet another National Trail grammatical error.
For years, a sign in Snyder Park that points the way to the tennis courts and the bandshell and the handicap restrooms has also pointed the way to the “Horse Shoe’s.”
Uh.
“Maybe you can explain why the possessive form of shoe is used,” Mr. Dudek wrote to me, apparently believing that I somehow have, in his words, a “good command of the English language.”
It’s called heavy editing, Mr. Dudek.
And to answer your question, sir, I can’t explain it.
I’m still trying to work out this whole Veteran’s/Veterans Park thing myself.
But I think we can agree that if we’re all going to call Leffel Lane “Leffels Lane” around here, we should at least spell it Leffel’s Lane.
Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0352 or amcginn@coxohio.com.
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