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Flashback Friday Archive 2021-22: Flashback Friday: Week of January 7

January 6, 1872 – 150 YEARS AGO
Rockland County Journal

AN INCENDIARY ATTEMPT
[Image:  Saint Philips A.M.E. Zion Church, Burd Street, Nyack, 1969. Photo by Charlie White. Courtesy of the Nyack Library via NYHeritage.]
       On Wednesday morning last, about 10 o’clock, one of the window sashes of the African Church on Burd street, in this village, was noticed to have been smashed in, and the circumstance arousing suspicion, some person entered and found that a fire had been kindled in the church, a part off one of the seats and a cushion having been already burned. The incendiary attempt was no doubt and attempt to carry out threats freely made during the disgraceful melee on Monday. The fiend who could thus deliberately fire a building in the midst of a district so crowded with shops and dwellings, ought to be caught in time to be cast in the midst of the fire of his own kindling.

January 6, 1922 – 100 YEARS AGO
Nyack Evening Journal

TIME TO FILE INCOME RETURN - New and Important Provision of Revenue Act of 1921 Concerning Income
       Now that the approach of the period for filing income tax returns has appeared, January 1 to March 15, 1922, taxpayers are advised to lose no time in the compilation of their accounts for the year 1921. A new and important provision of the Revenue Act of 1921 is that every person whose gross income for 1921 was $5000 or over shall file a return, regardless of the amount of net income upon which the tax is assessed. Returns are required of every single person whose net income was $1,000 or over and every married person living with husband or wife whose net income was $2,000 or over. Widows and widowers and persons separated or divorced from husband or wife, are regarded as single persons.
       Net income is gross income, less certain deductions for business expenses, losses, taxes, etc. Gross income includes practically all income received by the taxpayer during the year; in the case of the professional man, all amounts received for professional services; in the case of farmers all profits from the sale of farm products and rental or sale of land.

January 5, 1972 – 50 YEARS AGO
Rockland Independent/Leader

PASS-FAIL GRADE SYSTEM GETS A TRY
       Seniors often take as few courses as possible, fearing that a heavy load may lower their grade average and decrease chances for admission to the college of their choice.
       Two new policies of the Ramapo 2 school district may help those seniors, juniors, sophomores, and freshmen take courses they are interested in and be free from worry about their grade average.
       The new system, to be implemented at the end of January, is pass-fail grading. A student may elect to take a course on a pass-fail basis. No grades are given. There is no pressure on grade averages. There is no competition with other students.
       The student either passes or fails the subject. Sounds like heaven for the student. True, but there are some catches.
       “The system adopted by the board is not exactly what we wanted,” said Gordon Rauer, social studies teacher. “Hopefully, we can expand the program. But the heart’s been pretty well cut out of it.”
       When brought before the school board, the pass-fail plan proposed by teachers would enable a student to take any elective course on a pass-fail basis. But the board decided to amend the plan. Those amendments, Rauer added, make it now a “lot of nonsense.”
       The amended plan would enable a student to take any cou[r]se on a pass-fail basis providing that that course was not one required for graduation or required to complete a major.
       The student can take no more than two pass-fail courses in any one term. For example, a student may take one in his sophomore year, one in his junior year, and two in his senior year.
       The purpose of the proposal is to free the student from the bonds of worrying about grades for college.
       “Seniors worry so about their averages,” Rauer said. “This will give them a chance to relax. It will give them a last chance to venture out, to explore their interests.”
       The social studies department stands to gain few pass-fail students. Social studies is a required subject and thus not eligible to be taken on a pass-fail basis by most students.

Sugarman Enthusiastic
       But Dr. Alan Sugarman, assistant superintendent for instruction is enthusiastic about the pass-fail program and about the second change, opening up adult education to high school students.
       “Anything that opens the scope of education to the student is a marvelous thing,” he said. “The more opportunities we can provide students, the better.”
       The opening of adult education to students will also commence at the end of January. Credits will be given for most courses. Benefits lie in the areas of enrichment, maintenance and remedial work, and acceleration.
       Enrichment will be provided those students who do not have the time to follow certain interest courses.
       Maintenance and remedial programs will provide students who must work during the day with programs to improve skills, make up credits, and complete high school.
       Acceleration will be available to students with advanced maturity who wish to achieve either early graduation or a more diversified regular day school program.
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This Week in Rockland (#FBF Flashback Friday) is prepared by Clare Sheridan on behalf of the Historical Society of Rockland County. To learn about the HSRC’s mission, upcoming events or programs, visit www.RocklandHistory.org or call (845) 634-9629.

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