Clocktower Mini Golf
May 28-June 30
Receive a $1 discount on your round of mini-golf when you say, “Happy Anniversary, Wheaton Park District”
Arrowhead Golf Club
May 28-October 31
Receive a complimentary champagne toast when you celebrate an anniversary at Arrowhead.
Parks Plus Fitness Center
May 28-31
Become a member at Parks Plus Fitness Center and receive $100 off your annual membership when you mention the 100th anniversary.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Mark your calendar!
July 4 | Independence Day Parade
Parade theme: Celebrating Our Freedom | Parade starts at 11A
July 29 1-3pm
August 17 | Scavenger Hunt at Cosley Zoo
Celebrate Cosley Zoo's 47th Anniversary and the park district's 100th Anniversary! The first 100 visitors to turn in the completed scavenger hunt will receive a small zoo-related prize. Admission fees apply.
August 27 4pm
Shhh! It’s a surprise! We are bringing the party to the park for 100 minutes of fun! Travel back in time and enjoy free outdoor games and activities! Check back as the date gets closer for a sneak peak and secret clues about this awesome pop-up event!
Time Capsule
The district will be collecting items, photos and stories to go into a time capsule that will be buried at Memorial Park at the end of the anniversary celebration year, in May of 2022. More details to come.
Anniversary Sponsor:
Balloon Bouquets Provided by:
All Occasions Balloons
The evolution of Cincinnati and its businesses over the last 100 years is impressive and one law firm has been right there helping it grow — Frost Brown Todd. Frost & Jacobs was founded in 1919 by then Cincinnati Vice Mayor Carl Jacobs and prominent attorney and civic leader Henry Frost. The two had a simple goal — meet the changing needs of companies and the city.
Many of the original clients are still clients. In the 1920s, the firm represented Cincinnati & Suburban Bell Telephone Company on right of way cases and we still represent Cincinnati Bell today. The firm successfully represented the Saunders Drive it Yourself System as it fought a 1923 ordinance requiring a license fee of $20 for “driverless automobiles,” what were the first rental cars. Today the firm is recognized nationally for its auto industry expertise. In the 1940s Frost & Jacobs defended Wright Aeronautical on significant cases at its aircraft engine plant in Evandale and today we represent, and several of our alumni work for, what is now GE Aviation.
In the 1950s, Frost & Jacobs handled the acquisition of the Cincinnati Enquirer by its employees. Attorney Frank Dale went on to become Publisher of the Enquirer. In the 1960s, Dale led a group that bought the Reds to keep the team in Cincinnati and he took on the role of President of the Cincinnati Reds while the Big Red Machine was being built. United Shoe Corporation, Armco, Cincinnati Gas & Electric and their legacies like LensCrafters, AK Steel and Duke Energy have all benefited from decades of the work of the firm’s attorneys. Over the years, the Firm has played significant roles in the real estate, financing and construction aspects of Riverfront Stadium, Covington Landing, The Banks, the Aronoff Center and the transformation of OTR to name just a few iconic Cincinnati projects.
“We get so focused on the day-to-day needs of our clients, this 100th anniversary has let us step back and observe the impact Frost Brown Todd has made on Cincinnati’s business community,” said Member-in-Charge Chris Habel. “While we are proud of the century of exceptional legal service we provided, it’s our philanthropy and leadership in moving the community forward that means the most. The transformative initiatives, boards and organizations that our attorneys and alumni have led to make Greater Cincinnati greater over the past century are too many to count. While we have experienced substantial growth over the past century, our culture has not changed. In the first winter of the Great Depression, Henry Frost led a group that donated railcars of coal to the Community Chest, now United Way, so needy families could heat their homes. For the past several years, Frost Brown Todd has been the only law firm in the Top 25 of United Way donors.”
A leader in “firsts” and diversity, the firm named the city’s first black partner in 1993, and the first openly LGBTQ partner in 2004. The firm had partners on flexible schedules in the 1990s before the term work-life balance existed. Today, the firm continues to be at the forefront of breaking the walls of inequality. Its ongoing efforts include tracking diversity by seeking a Mansfield 3.0 certification, providing diversity scholarships to students each year, and regularly ranking at the top of diversity and inclusion awards. FBT is a “Top 100 Law Firm for Women,” a “Best Place to Work” for LGBTQ Equality, seven-time “Gold Standard Law Firm” to name a few.
The foundation Frost & Jacobs built in Cincinnati has helped the firm grow to an AmLaw200 firm in 13 markets and nine states. Frost & Jacobs merged with Brown, Todd and Heyburn in 2000, forming what is now known as Frost Brown Todd. On the 100-year anniversary, the firm expanded to Ann Arbor, Mich. where the office will focus on startup, emerging company, and venture capital fund clients in the mobility and transportation, manufacturing, technology and health care industries.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, center, waves next to former President Hu Jintao, right, during a ... [+] ceremony to mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Chinese Communist Party at Tiananmen Gate in Beijing on July 1, 2022.
AP Photo/Ng Han Guan“The leadership of the Party is the defining feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics and constitutes the greatest strength of this system,” he said in an hour-long address delivered from Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, where aircraft had earlier flown above the crowds and formed the number “100.”
“The people of China are not only good at destroying the old world, they have also created a new world," Xi added. "Only socialism can save China."
Xi also declared that China has realized its first centenary goal by building a “moderately prosperous society in all respects,” and is progressing towards its second centenary goal of building China into a “great modern socialist country.”
To that end, he vowed to build a stronger military, achieve technology self-sufficiency and uphold China’s territory sovereignty.
“Chinese people will never allow any foreign force to bully, oppress, or subjugate us,” he said. “Anyone who would attempt to do so will find themselves on a collision course with a great wall of steel forged by over 1.4 billion Chinese people.”
Balloons float over attendees waving Chinese flags during a ceremony at Tiananmen Square to mark the ... [+] 100th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Chinese Communist Party in Beijing Thursday, July 1, 2022.
Photo/Ng Han GuanMORE FOR YOU
The Chinese Communist Party, formed in 1921, has filled the anniversary week with ceremonies and festivities.
On Monday, it hosted a gala at the National Stadium in Beijing, often referred to as the “Bird Nest,” where performers commemorated early party history with songs and dances, and paid tribute to it for guiding China’s rise over the past century.
On Tuesday, Xi awarded the “July 1 medal” to 29 party role models–which included an army veteran, a high school teacher and a Uygur village official—for their “outstanding contributions” in a ceremony held at the capital’s Great Hall of the People. He also urged all 95 million party members to remain loyal and love the party, and “dedicate everything, even one's precious life, to the cause of the Party and the people, ” according to the official Xinhua News Agency.
But the celebrations come at a time when China faces significant challenges on multiple fronts. China now faces a world that increasingly views its economic and military might as a threat, particularly as its diplomats adopt a more assertive approach in their communications. The U.S., Australia, Canada, and the U.K. have all been adopting a firmer posture toward China, as are several major European Union countries.
Out of apparent concern that Chinese diplomats were alienating the U.S. and other countries in ways that would isolate the Chinese economy, senior party officials were recently urged to cultivate a “credible, lovable and respectable” image for the country.
The world’s two largest economies, in particular, are vying to lead the development of advanced technologies including robotics, semiconductors, and artificial intelligence. In June, Xi appointed his top lieutenant, Vice Premier Liu He, to spearhead the development of so-called third-generation chips as China aims for technology self-sufficiency, according to Bloomberg.
Internally, the country faces a rapidly-aging population and a dwindling workforce. China further relaxed birth control policies in May, allowing every married couple to have three children—up from the previous limit of two—as it seeks to boost falling birth rates.
But critics say the policy change is unlikely to be effective as couples are held back by long work hours as well as higher costs of living and raising children. Disenchanted by bleak prospects of reward from the hard work, Chinese youth has invented the word tang ping, or lying flat, as they encourage one another to avoid overworking and taking some time to relax.
I am a Beijing-based writer covering China's technology sector. I contribute to Forbes, and previously I freelanced for SCMP and Nikkei. Prior to Beijing, I spent six
Read LessBy Eric Baculinao and Petra Cahill
Xi, wearing a grey buttoned-up suit of the type worn by Mao Zedong, emphasized the party's role in bringing China to global prominence and warned that foreign forces attempting to bully the nation will "get their heads bashed."
However, Xi received the most prolonged applause when he said that China would not be bullied, in a clear reference to the United States and other Western powers' accusations that Beijing has been abusing its power from Xinjiang to Hong Kong.
"No one should underestimate the great resolve, the strong will, and the extraordinary ability of the Chinese people to defend their national sovereignty and territorial integrity!" he said.
"Chinese people will never allow foreign bullying, oppressing, or subjugating. Anyone who dares try to do that will have their heads bashed bloody against the great wall of steel, forged by over 1.4 billion Chinese people," he said.
Thursday's celebrations began with a flyby of fighter jets and helicopters observed by the nation's leaders. A 3,000-strong chorus also sang several socialist songs during the event.
Looking to increase patriotic fervor ahead of the centennial, Xi had called on the party's 95 million members to pass on "Red genes and revolutionary fire" to younger generations.
On Monday evening, the party staged a gala performance in Beijing's National Stadium, commonly known as the "Bird's Nest." Party leaders and foreign diplomats watched an extravaganza of song, dance and theater, which credited the party with guiding China's rise into a global power over the past century.
But critics have noted that darker parts in the party's history were noticeably absent from the show that culminated with the audience singing the song: "Without the Communist Party, there would be no new China" followed by five minutes of fireworks.
The performance was just one of many events planned this year as most parts of the nation have returned to normalcy amid the coronavirus pandemic.
China's ambitious space program also celebrated the centenary following a breakthrough on June 17 with the country's first manned-launch in years. A week after blasting off, the three astronauts flanked by the Chinese flag and the Communist Party flag in their space module saluted Xi in a video.
Back on terra firma, China's top 100 rappers released a 15-minute hip-hop anthem celebrating the centennial with praise for the military, high-speed trains, 5G technology and the space program.
Fireworks above the National Stadium during an art performance titled 'The Great Journey' is held in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China at the National Stadium in Beijing, on Monday.Huan Jingwen / EPA
Victor Gao, vice president of the Center for China and Globalization, a Beijing-based think tank that focuses on public policy, argued there were "ample reasons" for China to laud the party's centennial.
Some of the achievements he listed include, "eliminating abject poverty, improving the health and life expectancy of 1.4 billion Chinese people, rolling out one of the best infrastructure networks in the world, and leapfrogging into the world's second largest economy without resorting to colonization."
For Dai Jincun, 49, a farmer turned car wash operator in Beijing, the party's biggest achievement is simple: It's given people a "sense of security," he said.
"In my home village in southern Sichuan, people no longer have a sense of fear," said Dai, explaining that farmers now enjoy pensions and health insurance, which used to be for urban residents only.
"I have a sick cousin who, because he was poor, stayed in a hospital for months without paying anything," he added.
A survey by the University of California's China Data Lab seems to bear out Dai's claim of satisfaction among many Chinese people, especially those in rural areas.
When asked whether they prefer living under China's political system as compared to that of other systems, 83 percent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed in May 2022.
A whopping 95 percent of Chinese citizens also expressed satisfaction with Beijing's government, according to July 2020 polling data from the Ash Center at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government.
During the build-up to the centennial, to promote patriotism and boost national unity, a wave of state-supported "Red tourism" has swept across the country. Millions have flocked to places like Yan'an, the city in northern Sha'anxi province considered to be the birthplace of the revolution.
Pilgrims dressed up in replica Red Army costumes and visit the caves where Mao Zedong and other Communist leaders lived for 13 years, developing strategies that eventually proved effective against the Japanese forces and U.S.-supported nationalist army before sweeping to power in 1949.
Yet the official party version of history leaves out several key chapters, including the "catastrophic misrule" it was responsible for in the early decades, said William Kirby, professor of China studies at Harvard University, referring to the millions of people who starved to death during the Great Leap Forward of the late 1950s, and the chaos and persecutions unleashed by the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s.
"And this is why this anniversary can be celebrated today, the Communist Party received something very rare in history: a second chance," Kirby told NBC News. "After 1978, it made the most of that second chance by largely abandoning Maoist policies."
The 1978 reforms launched by Mao's successor Deng Xiaoping rejected the Soviet model of a centrally planned economy, opened China up to foreign investments and embraced capitalist-style markets. Deng also presided over a party resolution that pinned major errors on Mao and restored collective leadership.
But a new "Concise History of the Communist Party of China" timed for the party anniversary seems to have revised history by avoiding any direct criticism of Mao.
Instead it simply states that Mao waged "incessant struggle against corruption, special privileges and bureaucratism." In an apparent nod to Xi, it also stresses the importance of centralized leadership by declaring "there must be a main peak among the majestic mountains."
Such burnishing of Mao's legacy has prompted criticism that Xi is trying to justify his strongman style of leadership. But party leaders argue that's not the case.
"This is not revising party history, but continuously improving our understanding of the past, which includes our mistakes and how we correct them," Communist Party history scholar Zhang Shiyi recently told a group of foreign reporters.
Still critics say Xi's emergence as China's most powerful leader since Mao could be a potential challenge for the party.
"President Xi's ending of presidential terms and the lack of a designated successor raises the prospects of political instability when he eventually departs the scene," Kirby said.
But after all its successes, he believes, the Communist Party is still grasping for an elusive goal: legitimacy.
"What is surprising, when one looks over this history — growth from an insignificant beginning as an underground party to ruling and presiding over the enormous realm and population that is China's — is how sensitive the party is to any critique. It faces enduring questions of legitimacy," Kirby said.
"It is today one of the most powerful parties on Earth, but there are good historical reasons that it remains powerfully insecure," he added.
However, the legitimacy it seeks doesn't come from economic might alone, according to Teng Biao, a Chinese human rights lawyer and a visiting professor at the University of Chicago.
"There are serious violations of human rights and basic liberties in China," he said.
"Only constitutional democracy, with its multiparty competition, elections and separation of powers, can fundamentally remedy that," he argues.
Eric Baculinao is a producer based in Beijing. A long-term resident of Beijing who is fluent in Chinese, Baculiano scans Chinese news daily for hints of major new policy trends and insights into the workings of China's secretive Communist Party and government leadership.
Petra Cahill
Isabel Wang, Reuters and Adela Suliman contributed.