Merry Christmas! Unlike most Saturdays, when we endeavor to present a balance of cheers and jeers, in honor of today’s holiday we present positive affirmations only. Reflecting our modern society, expect the criticism to return next week.
Cheers: To Living Hope Church, which brought the Christian story of Christmas to Santa’s largest local venue: Westfield Vancouver mall. The megachurch’s Living Nativity program, held inside the old Mervyns department store, drew thousands to its programs this week. The live farm animals, including Curly the Camel, were a major hit, and the whole experiment proved once again there is room in our lives for both the busy commercial holiday and its Christian underpinnings.
Cheers: To Vancouver Postmaster Sara Lovendahl and her crew, who abandoned their business-as-usual routines this week to attempt to help a seasonal flood of customers. The U.S. Postal Service is one of those traditional enterprises that has been suffering in recent years, and as a result there are fewer clerks to staff the counters. But Lovendahl led an administrative charge away from the desks and into the lobby, and, when interviewed by a Columbian reporter, gave full credit to the customers for arriving prepared and in a good mood.
Cheers: To keeping your natural Christmas tree well-watered, and taking it down promptly after the holidays. Clark County Fire District 6 on Dec. 18 hosted a demonstration of what happens if you ignore this common-sense advice. In one mocked-up living room, a dry tree turned into a Roman candle when it was deliberately ignited. “No way you’ll have a live person in that house,” said firefighter Bill Dunlap, who organized the demonstration. In contrast, the watered tree smoldered and flamed delicately, giving a mythical family plenty of time to get out.
Cheers: To Santa Claus. The Associated Press reported this week that nationwide bookings have declined this year for private Santas, perhaps due to fees ranging as high as $125 per hour. Rightfully so, some hosts have decided that the man in the red velvet suit is just too dear this year. And, it should be said there’s nothing wrong with a man of a certain age and stature making a few bucks portraying Kris Kringle. But for every paid Santa, there are many who proudly who wear the suit for free. We suspect that Mr. Claus will remain popular for many more years to come, recession or no.
Cheers: To secret Santas. These are the folks who saw a giving tree at a local store or agency, took one of the “ornaments” that profiled a local family in need, and did their best to purchase the gifts and turn them into the charitable organization that sponsored the tree. These adopt-a-family efforts have been around a long time, but the recession has put a sharper point on people’s need. By selflessly giving to people they’ll never meet, these secret Santas embody the true meaning of Christmas.
Cheers: To police officers who will be spending this weekend — and especially next weekend — keeping our roads safe by watching for drunken drivers. Unlike some years, Vancouver police have not received a pot of money this year to pay officers to work overtime. But they will still be watching local roads and arresting drunks.
Cheers: To local groups who sponsored Christmas parties for local families. The Hazel Dell Neighborhood Association, Partners in Careers and the Clark County 4-H Teen Ambassadors are just a few of these organizers. At the Partners in Careers party, 24 military veterans attended, which gave the nonprofit group a chance to educate them about its programs. Partners in Careers helps returning soldiers and sailors find housing and jobs.
Cheers: To Columbian readers, in print and online. We wish you a Merry Christmas.
