The Citizen, 2012-12-20, Page 30PAGE 30. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2012.How to ‘Green up’your Christmas
Students getting served
Parents and volunteers manned the serving stations at the North Woods Elementary School
Christmas dinner last week, including, from left, Katie Roth, Ingrid Backx and Dave Bell. Given
the job of serving meals to students, left, Joe Teichroeb and Tommy Warner, they were the
backbone of keeping the food line moving. (Denny Scott photo)
Family first
for Hallahan
at Christmas
MS –While the holiday season is
a time of joy, giving and religious
reflection, it also can be a time of
excess. Holiday parties, meals
brimming with more food than the
average person can consume,
wrapping paper tossed aside after
minimal usage and shoppers
venturing in cars in search of
presents can all prove wasteful.
For the environmentally
conscious, the holiday season is a
great opportunity to put your ideals
to use. Although it may seem like a
challenging task, going green for the
holidays is easier than you might
think.
• Get a live Christmas tree.
Christmas trees are planted
expressly for the purpose of being
cut down and turned into holiday
decor. Responsible tree farms will
plant many more trees than is needed
for the purpose of Christmas trees.
Be a good steward for the
Continued from page 26
said. “That’s the way it still is for
me here. That’s the way it always
will be as long as I’m putting up the
tree.”
He said that the art of sending the
Christmas card was one that was
well applied in his house as a child
as his mother would send out plenty
of Christmas cards.
“That’s really changed, with the
internet,” he said. “It makes it as
simple as clicking to send out your
greetings. It’s not really the same.”
Hallahan said that Christmas has
always been about staying close to
home and that he doesn’t plan on
changing that.
“I would never go on trips,
beyond seeing family,” he said. “As
a kid, people were close and they
were always coming and going,
dropping in all the time.”
One thing that has changed,
especially this year, is the presence
of local Christmas concerts
according to Hallahan.
“Christmas concerts are the
ultimate entertainment,” he said.
His descendants are in the
Catholic school system, so they still
had their celebrations this year, but
some schools didn’t due to the
ongoing protests over Bill 115.
“Concerts are important to kids,
it’s their only chance to be up on
stage sometimes and show what
they’re able to do in front of their
parents and grandparents,” he said.
Hallahan also explained that the
concerts are exciting and interesting
not despite the hiccups, but because
of them.
“There is always a screw-up that
people will remember and that’s
what makes a Christmas concert,”
he said. “If everything went as
planned and some kid didn’t wave
at his parents, get sick or wet his
pants, you wouldn’t remember the
concert.”
A Beautiful Season
MeMererrrryry
y ChChrhrrisisstmtmmas!as
ENERGY CENTRE
262 Bayfield Rd., Clinton 519-482-7062
Air Conditioning - Heating - Plumbing - Electrical - Gas Fireplaces
O u r B u s iness i s b uilt on SERV ICE
At this special time of year, please
accept my sincere wishes for a
holiday that's deeply satisfying
from start to finish. Your support
has meant so much to me.
Thanks, everyone!
9 Rattenbury St. E., Clinton,
ON N0M 1L0
Ph.: 519-482-9924
Res.: 519-524-9260
Blyth 519-523-4757
Casey Boven
and family
Continued on page 33