Earl Jones completed his final act as Mayor of Alliance on Monday morning, representing the city of Alliance during a Memorial Day ceremony on the grounds at the Box Butte County Courthouse.
Jones welcomed people to the ceremony, providing an overview of the history of Memorial Day and the importance of honoring those who gave everything in the service of the nation.
“The first official Decoration Day, as it was called, was on May 30, 1868,” said Jones. “But in 1971, the Uniform Monday Holiday Act took effect, and Decoration Day became Memorial Day, and was moved to the last Monday of May to give us a long weekend. For a lot of Americans, this is the kick off to summer; those of us here today, though, recognize the true purpose of this day is to gather to pay respect to service men and women, especially those who didn’t return.”
Jones said that in December of 2000, Congress passed a law requiring Americans to pause at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day as a way to remember the fallen.
“Unfortunately, this does not appear to be common knowledge,” Jones said. “If it is, most people seem to be too deep into a hotdog-induced food coma to officially observe that moment. In Church yesterday, we shared this prayer: ‘Give your blessings of peace to the nations, shelter all who risk their life and livelihood to protect others from violence, conflict and injustice. On this Memorial Day, remember those who have lost their lives in war and conflict. Amen.’”
Jones has served as Mayor of Alliance since his appointment to fill a vacancy on the council left by Mayor Mike Dafney, who resigned in April of 2023. Jones did not run for re-election, and, during the primary election, Alliance’s voters elected Tacy Liptack to serve the remainder of Dafney’s term. The Alliance City Council will see Liptack join its other members at its first meeting in June, during which it will undergo a reorganization process to elect a new mayor and vice mayor.