July 29: In 1786, the first newspaper west of the Alleghenies, the Pittsburgh Gazette, was published; in 1920, the first transcontinental airmail flight took off from New York to San Francisco (taking three-and-a-half days since pilots could only fly during daylight); and in 1987, Ben & Jerry’s introduced Cherry Garcia ice cream.
In 1997, on Tuesday, July 29 at 10:30 p.m., Jeremiah Milan Alvarado became one of this planet. His mother studied his face intently because she didn’t want the hospital to mix her baby up with anyone else’s.
Jeremiah started coming to work with his mom at the Lovely County Citizen in 1999. He would hide under desks when he didn’t want to leave and jiggled his leg when he was anxious. He survived John Rankine tossing him into the air but slinging him into the ceiling fan. He laughed and said, “Again!”
Jeremiah still hides behind his desk in this office, still fiddles with his hair when he’s thinking hard, knows more about city government than anyone should, and his gift to you is delivering this newspaper on his birthday.