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Amid ACLU concern, Jackson stands by rodeo prayer
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CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Concerns raised by the American Civil Liberties Union aren't budging Jackson officials to do away with a public prayer said over a loudspeaker before the town's summertime rodeo. Mayor Mark Barron said the council doesn't plan further changes after the town took steps last month to make the prayer nonsectarian. The Town Council didn't take up the prayer at its meeting Monday. "I'm not ready to take up a battle with the ACLU. I'm just trying to run a little western rodeo," Barron said. An ACLU attorney, Jennifer Horvath, said Tuesday she hoped the council would reconsider. She stopped short of threatening to sue, however. "We'll see what happens at this year's rodeo," Horvath said by email. The ACLU wrote to town officials in December, saying some rodeo attendees felt pressured to participate in the prayer, which mentioned the Bible and Jesus Christ. The ACLU claimed violation of separation of church and state. "The federal courts have repeatedly held that officially sponsored prayers and religious exercise is unconstitutional," the letter read. The town last month revised its contract with the rodeo organizer to include a new, nonsectarian prayer to be said at the rodeo. The prayer doesn't make Christian references and is addressed to "Father," not "God." The minor changes are insufficient, Horvath said Tuesday. "We commend the council on its efforts to respond to citizens' complaints. But simply replacing the word 'God' with the word 'Father' fails to address their concerns, and fails to correct the constitutional violations," Horvath wrote to The Associated Press. The Town Council has two new members who were sworn in Monday who may decide to take a different approach to the prayer, Jackson town attorney Audrey Cohen-Davis said Tuesday. Meanwhile, she hoped to talk with Horvath to learn more about the specifics of the ACLU's concerns, she said. Cohen-Davis described the language as not really a prayer, but a reflection. "There's many levels of reflection that are done all the way to the president," she said. 
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Today is Saturday, May 18, the 138th day of 2013. There are 227 days left in the year.
1863 -- 150 years ago: A large variety of children's wagons and gigs have arrived in thecity and are being sold at war prices.
1888 -- 125 years ago: All Rock Island retail houses, with the exception of a clothingstore and a jewelry store, have agreed to early closing hours during the summer months.The store will be closed at 8 p.m.
1913 -- 100 years ago: Baseball enthusiasts in Rock Island are attempting to raise$20,000 to keep the Island City Park open, despite the fact that the city has no franchise inorganized baseball this year.
1938 -- 75 years ago: The organization of a third rural young people's unit will beundertaken tomorrow night at the Milan Presbyterian Church, with Mrs. Mildred K.Wellman, home advisor, and Robert Smith, county farm adviser in charge.
1963 -- 50 years ago: Deere & Co. will begin a "big switch" on its telephone systemMonday morning. The extension numbers of all 1,600 telephones on the firm's EastMoline and Moline exchanges will be changed Monday morning.
1988 -- 25 years ago: East Moline's June Jamboree VI -- Nostalgia Days, will seemlike a '60s revival with the appearance of stars like Bobby Vee, Freddie Cannon, PeterNoone, Turtles, The Grass Roots and Lou Christie. This year's festival has beenexpanded to five days, June 22-26, at the Northeast Park complex.
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