Labor Day

IT IS fitting that the most productive nation on earth should have a holiday to honor its work. The high standard of living that Americans enjoy is hard-earned and well-deserved.But the term "Labor Day" is a misnomer. What we should celebrate is not sweat and toil, but the power of man's mind to reason, invent and create.Several centuries ago, providing the basic necessities for one's survival was a matter of daily drudgery for most people. But Americans today enjoy conveniences undreamed of by medieval kings.

Samuel Gompers helped organize the American Federation of Labor in 1886 and, other than a single year off, served as its president from that year until his death in 1924. A cigar maker by trade, Gompers first joined a union - Cigar Makers International Union - in New York in 1864. He rose through its ranks and then that of the national movement, becoming the leading spokesman of his time for organized labor. Derided by critics as a socialist and a foreigner (he was born in London), Gompers viewed trade unions as a means for workers to obtain economic power, which, in turn, would lead to political power.

Thinking about a long, lazy week at the beach with the kids before Labor Day?Better do it soon if your children attend schools in Baltimore or in Howard or Anne Arundel counties. This year, schools open before Labor Day in those jurisdictions.The reason for an early start in some places: Labor Day is late this year -- Sept. 7.That means that some school systems had to choose between an early start or a school year extending well into June.In the city, for example, the first day is Tuesday, Sept.

Thinking about a long, lazy week at the beach with the kids before Labor Day?Better do it soon if your children attend schools in Baltimore or in Howard or Anne Arundel counties. This year, schools open before Labor Day in those jurisdictions.The reason for an early start in some places: Labor Day is late this year -- Sept. 7.That means that some school systems had to choose between an early start or a school year extending well into June.In the city, for example, the first day is Tuesday, Sept.

In recognition of Labor Day, the Orioles are offering discounted tickets to federal government employees and their families for their 1:35 p.m. game on Sept. 6 against the Minnesota Twins. Federal government employees and contractors, military personnel and their family members may purchase left field lower box seats for $20 or upper reserve tickets for $8. Individual tickets may be purchased in person at the Orioles ticket office or by calling 1-888-848-BIRD. Fans will need to provide a valid government photo ID if purchasing tickets in person or the name of the federal government agency or department and ID number if ordering by phone.

All city pools be will open today, following nearly $675,000 in private donations to restore facilities that had been closed due to budget cuts, the mayor's office announced Friday. The city closed its 26 outdoor pools Monday after a truncated, six-week swim season, one of many cuts that came as officials grappled with a $121 million budget shortfall. Following public outcry, donations poured into the Baltimore Community Foundation this week, allowing the city to reopen — and in some cases refill — the pools.

It's Labor Day in the city. And that's time for Raymond Tyson to fire up his gas grill so his neighbors can pig out on pork chops while savoring their haven of shade and security in South Baltimore.Their haven is a tiny port between two drug corners, a half block of conscientious citizens who cook out on concrete in front of their houses on Memorial Day, the Fourth of July and Labor Day.Yesterday, as part of the traditional last weekend of summer, they struck a particularly urban pose there on their stoops and sidewalks.

School's out for the summer Friday in Baltimore County, and students have reason to celebrate. Their summer vacation will be the longest in recent history, thanks in part to a revised Labor Day policy. Students will return to classes on Sept. 5, after the Labor Day holiday. The 2000-2001 school year is the first that students will start classes after the summer holiday, said Sharon Norman, director of Business, Community and Parent Relations. The Baltimore County Board of Education retooled school system policy two years ago to allow more flexibility for the start of the school year.

Bethlehem Steel has been sold, most of its workers have retired or moved away, and the church that served many area steelworkers for 47 years - Christ the King Roman Catholic Church - celebrated its final Mass yesterday morning. Some say it is fitting that the church in the Turners Station area of Dundalk offered its last service Labor Day weekend, a time the nation honors workingmen and women. "It's almost ironical it closes on Labor Day weekend," said Bishop William Newman, who spoke tearful parting words as he looked across pews crowded with weeping parishioners.

THE FACT that Wal-Mart became the nation's largest corporate employer over the past year symbolizes much about the nation's work force this Labor Day.Yes, the nation's unemployment rate hovers around 5 percent, a figure that approaches full employment; the economy continues to surge; welfare rolls are plummeting like never before, and the settlement of the United Parcel Service strike suggested that a company can be successful while providing reasonable wages...