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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Times Advocate, 2006-12-06, Page 1616 TIMES—ADVOCATE D. I. helps United Way Germany's Christmas toyland SEIFFEN, Germany: Many carols, the Christmas tree, the fruit bread called stollen, gluh- wein for Christmas punch, E.T. Hoffman's yuletide tale The Nutcracker, have all stemmed from Germany. Now, into the commer- cial black hole which Christmas has become, the former communist East Germany has poured sackloads of decorations. No place has earned more, in fame and hard curren- cy, than the little town of Seiffen and its neighbors close to the Czech border. They are the centres for the making of wooden tree decorations, creche scenes, merry -go -rounds powered by candles, nut- cracker figurines and other traditional figures. Theirs was a craft born of poverty. This most easterly German province of Saxony was Europe's silver vault. Near the city of Freiberg the last mine closed in 1958, precisely 800 years after silver extraction began. Silver stocks, like codstocks, had not been limitless. At the western end of the rolling, wooded Ore Mountains (called Erzgebirge,) supplies already had run out by the 1700s. Miners turned to other wealth. They became among the most delicate carvers of wood, usually using linden, for asses, sheep, camels, angels, madonnas and other Christmas figures. The hand -chiselled fig- urines went to the Christmas fairs, at nearby Dresden but also to Nurnberg, which was to become the biggest and best known of all. Saxony today, like every other globally economic - battered part of the world, is grabbing for the lifebelt of tourism. "The Silver Road" goes through it, joining the centres of min- ing and past wealth. Scheeberg is one. It has 4,000 km of mine tunnels below it. In one, a single silver block of 200 tons was discovered in 1470. The museum there com- bines mining history and Christmas crafts. Many of the local artists agree that the completed wooden figures are not so much a result of what the artist has cut into the wood, but what he has taken away - from a single block of wood. However, the Christmas craft trade of today could never have developed without the lathe. It is the basis of factories in Seiffen and elsewhere. Seiffen has the region's toy museum, with exhibits from the 1700s to today. Snow White appears on a music -box here. Nutcrackers are man- sized. A revolving merry- go-round (locally called a "pyramid") swirls scores of figures and is two floors high. Two hundred kilo- metres away, in the toy museum of Nurnberg, there are other eye-catch- ers - a giant model of the city's castle, a 19th centu- ry ferris wheel, recent mechanical toys, a layout to delight any model train buff's heart, dolls by the dozen, wooden carved fig- ures from the 1850s. Toys have been identi- fied with Nurnberg since the 1300s. Toy soldiers were invented there in the 16th century. Its annual toy fair is the world's largest. Yet its Christmas Fair with 160 outdoor stalls, running through Advent, is better-known. It is set in the heart of the Old City, itself a medieval treasure, 60 per cent destroyed in one 1945 night by allied bombs, but now restored. Here, through December, booths are cornucopias of toys, decorations, candles, gifts, foodstuffs and the traditional gingerbread that was first baked in an adjacent bakery in 1360. On the opening night of the fair, a teenaged girl appears on the balcony of the church to read a tradi- tional poem. She is dressed as an angel; her reign lasts a year; she rep- resents Nurnberg, world- wide. She is the peaceful "spirit" of the best-known German Christmas City. Check out the Nurnberg websites for tourism and more historical informa- tion on this great city. (Percy Rowe) J Gaiser Kneale gill Insurance Brokers Inc. • Home • Auto • Farm • Commercial Please call Wayne or Kelly for any of your insurance needs at 1-888-482-9747 gkins@cabletv.on.ca Wayne Ische Kelly O'Leary t 44 Ontario St., CLINTON 519-482-3401 Wednesday, December 6, 2006 United Way fundraising — Dashwood Industries' recent donation of $19,388 to the Huron United Way is the biggest donation the company has made to the United Way.The Targe donation puts the Huron United Way at 55 per cent of its $250,000 goal for this year's campaign, executive director Kim Payne said last week. She added she is confident the United Way will reach its goal, which has increased from last year's goal of $230,000. From left are Dashwood Industries order ful- fillment co-ordinator Scott Sallows, Payne, United Way rural development officer LisaWalker, Dashwood Industries United Way campaign co-ordinator Sharon Miller, order processor Lisa Taylor and union represen- tative Alec Irvine.The Dashwood Industries campaign, which mostly comes from payroll deductions matched dollar for dollar by the company, keeps growing every year. (photo/Scott Nixon) Exeter Shuffleboard Nov. 21 - Four wins: Millie Ross 238 - Three wins: Mary Brintnell 221, Jean Crerar 154, Mildred Chalmers 148, Bill Thomas 122 - Two wins: Ray Hodgson 166, Isobelle Rescorl 144, Constance Kernick 91, Geraldine Smith 66 Nov. 22 - Four wins: Jean Hayter 358, Ray Hodgson 307 - Three wins: Cleanor Hendrick 234, Jean Crerar 215, Bernice Boogemans 220, Marge McCurdy 188 - Two wins: Cor Rood 230, Clare Hayter 147, Phyllis Case 139, June Moore 139, Constance Kernick 137, Betty Warner 133 Your First Step to Employment Attend a FREE Workshop to Learn about your Options Call your local HERC office 519-235-0471 =o,.m..,e=... Canada NOTICE TO ALL RESIDENTS PARKING DEPOSITING OF SNOW NOTICE TO ALL RESIDENTS PARKING DEPOSITING OF SNOW The Municipality of South Huron requests the cooperation of residents regarding parking of cars and other vehicles, and the depositing of snow on municipal roads during the period in which snow clearing operations are nec- essary. Section 170(12) of the Highway Tra lc Act: "It is an offence to Park or stand a vehicle on a highway in such a manner as to interfere with the movement of traffic or the clearing of snow from the highway." Section 181 of the Highway Traffic Act "No person shall deposit snow or ice on a roadway without permission in writing to do so from the Ministry or the Road Authority responsible for Maintenance of the Road." Neither the Municipality of South Huron nor the Snow Plow Operators will be held responsible for damage done to vehicles or mailboxes on the Municipal Road Allowance Municipality of South Huron By-law #47-2001 At all times during the year, Parking is not permitted on any street between the hours of 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. Violators will be ticketed and may have their vehicles removed or impounded at the owner's expense. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated. 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