National Train Day Begins

Los Angeles Times: The fourth National Train Day, a kind of grass-roots celebration of all things rail, will kick off Saturday with more than 200 exhibits and displays nationwide. The biggest events will take place at Amtrak stations in Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia.

These activities had been planned well in advance of news Thursday about the discovery of documents indicating that Al Qaeda last year may have considered terrorist attacks on rail networks. In an email, Amtrak said its employees remain at "a heightened state of vigilance." The passenger rail company, which turns 40 this year, pointed to its Partners for Amtrak Safety and Security program, in which passengers are invited to report suspicious activity; random bag screenings; and expansion of its canine unit, trained to sniff out explosives.

In fact, dogs from that unit will demonstrate their skills as part of free events Saturday at Union Station in downtown Los Angeles. The events, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. , will include sample train meals, made by chefs Marcel Lagnaz and Tom Douglas, and live entertainment from Radio Disney and the Never Land Pirate Band.

The most popular happenings each year are tours. You can take a look at more than 15 rail cars, such as a historic first-class Pacific Parlour car, dining and sleeping cars, freight cars and luxury private cars. Planning tip: Download free tickets for a particular time rather than getting stuck in long lines; look for "Train Equipment Reservations" on the National Train Day home page.

Fans and volunteers plan each year's events, which look to the history and future of rail travel. "There's a tremendous amount of train love out there and often you won't find it until you engage someone in conversation," said Amtrak's marketing manager David Lim.

Celebrities also get in on the act. At Union Station in the nation's capital, Gladys Knight, who with the Pips immortalized the song "Midnight Train to Georgia" (and whose grandfather was a Pullman porter, Lim said), will appear at a meet-and-greet Saturday.

The 40th Anniversary Exhibit Train -- two locomotives and three baggage cars -- stuffed with exhibits about the history of passenger rail will make its debut in D.C. The train will take a 12-month tour of the country, stopping in California too, Lim said, though dates aren't yet available.

For all events and details, check out the National Train Day website.

The Real Cinco de Mayo

Seattle Times: It's Cinco de Mayo on Thursday. Perhaps you're heading to a local pub to munch on tacos and throw back salt-rimmed margaritas. But do you know the history behind the party?

Cinco de Mayo commemorates the day in 1862 when the Mexican army fought back and defeated the French army in a David-and-Goliath-like battle.

That year, Napoleon III invaded Mexico to collect money owed France. Historians say Napoleon really wanted to take over his enemy, the United States. President Lincoln was busy with the Civil War and did not get involved in the ensuing fight near Mexico City.

The Battle of Puebla lasted two hours. The Mexican army, led by Gen. Ignacio Zaragoza, was 4,000 strong. The troops wielded machetes and ingenuity to defeat Napoleon's better-equipped force of 8,000 soldiers, so the story goes.

For Mexican-Americans, who make up 10 percent of the nation's population, Cinco de Mayo is a holiday that stokes national pride.

Many Americans mistakenly believe the holiday is Mexico's Independence Day. Actually, that falls on Sept. 16, when Mexico pays homage to Miguel Hidalgo y Castilla, a Catholic priest who tolled his church bell in 1810 to proclaim the country's freedom from Spain.

Unlike Mexico's Independence event, May 5 is not a big deal south of the border, save for the state of Puebla, where festivals and parades are common.

The first Cinco de Mayo celebration was in California in 1863. But the holiday didn't really take off in the United States until the 1960s. Cinco de Mayo saw a boost in popularity in the 1980s, partly fueled by Mexican beer and tequila firms pumping up the event as another St. Patrick's Day, historians say.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has taken note, coining the slogan "Amigos don't let amigos drive drunk." They also warned in an advertisement: "Drive impaired on Cinco de Mayo and spend seis de Mayo in jail."