The first observance of Labor Day is believed to have been a parade of 10,000 workers on Sept. 5, 1882, in New York City, organized by Peter J. McGuire, a Carpenters and Joiners Union secretary. By 1893, more than half the states were observing a “Labor Day” on one day or another, and Congress passed a bill to establish a federal holiday in 1894. President Grover Cleveland signed the bill soon afterward, designating the first Monday in September as Labor Day.

Who Are We Celebrating?

154.4 million - Number of people 16 and older in the nation's labor force in May 2010.

Employee Benefits

83% - Percentage of full-time workers 18 to 64 covered by health insurance during all or part of 2008.

"Multitasking" is a term that may have started in the workplace, but it has made its way to the kitchen – where more and more Americans say their busy lives require them to juggle too many things at once while eating and preparing food. But while multitasking may be helpful in climbing the corporate ladder, when it comes to mealtime, multitasking shortcuts might lead to foodborne illness.

Home cooks care for the kids and pets, watch television, wash dishes and talk on the phone while cooking. Since eliminating today's need to multitask can be virtually impossible, families need to incorporate proper home food safety habits into their daily routines in order to diminish the risk of foodborne illness.

No matter how busy you are, from top to bottom, a clean kitchen is a main line of defense for your family and foodborne illness. Be a smart multitasker: Eliminate the breeding grounds for dangerous bacteria.

GAME NOTES -

* The Texans set a team preseason record with 417 yards of offense (101 rushing, 316 passing), passing the previous mark of 405 yards, set against New Orleans on August 16, 2008.

* QB John David Booty set a Houston preseason passing record with 209 yards. Booty was 17-of-37 with two touchdowns and no interceptions. He surpassed David Carr’s record of 205 yards on 15-of-22 passing against San Diego on August 23, 2003.

* QB John David Booty and QB Dan Orlovsky combined to help set a Houston preseason team record with 316 net yards passing, besting the old record of 289 yards passing, set against New Orleans on August 16, 2008.

* TE James Casey set a team preseason record with eight receptions, surpassing the record of seven receptions, set by WR Andre Johnson on August 28 against Dallas.

DPS wants drivers to make the best—and least expensive—choices as they travel during the long Labor Day weekend.

“We want the end of summer to be a memorable weekend, not your last one,” said Assistant Director David Baker, who oversees the Texas Highway Patrol. “You can start by not drinking and driving, which is a sure invitation to tragedy and expensive legal bills.”

During the Labor Day weekend holiday last year, DPS troopers arrested 715 people for driving while intoxicated, and issued more than 13,000 speeding citations and more than 2,000 seat belt and child restraint violations. In all, troopers wrote 24,618 citations and thousands of warnings to promote safe driving during the Labor Day holiday last year.

A DWI conviction stays on an offender’s criminal and driving record forever. For the first offense, the law allows a maximum of six months in jail, a $2,000 fine and a one-year driver license suspension. A DWI conviction also carries a $1,000 surcharge for three years, in addition to any other fines or costs associated with the arrest.

“Haha, stupid freshman,” the nightmare rings over and over again inside many incoming ninth graders’ minds. However, for freshmen who join Cypress Ranch Key Club, this is not the case. As part of the their “helping others” attitude, the club holds a Back-to-School Social each summer the week before school starts. This social is a reaching-out event, a chance for incoming freshman to come and meet the upperclassmen while participating in icebreakers.

“We like to have this social before school starts as a way to help the incoming freshman and new students become adjusted with our school and club. We feel that by including incoming students in events put on by our club, they will feel like they have a place to belong the first day they walk through the doors,” President Chloe Potemans said.