The Huron Expositor, 1994-12-14, Page 29Merry Christmas December 21, 1994 - Page 8
Big Huron storm recalled
By Paul Carroll
The enclosed picture - from an
Expositor account of the most
recent (7) extraordinary winter bast,
about 1982, shows me. Karsten and
our dos headed from our Goderich
St. res'dence to check out the state
of heat at Seaford' Public School
one Monday morning when school
was closed. The chainlink fence is
the "6 -footer" along the Goderich
St. (Hwy.8) side of the school
yl
same winter got us back into
breadbaking and similar kitchen
activities from an earlier time as we
played ovemight host to stranded
travellers on a regular basis: a
young family Christmas Eve,
"Katimavik" stragglers unable to
walk to their McKillop residence,
and Guelph-Goderich travellers
unable to proceed along Hwy 8. As
I recall it, that was the year that the
weather gave us '4 -day school
weeks' with a two Monday
shutdown throughout January and
the first while in February that year.
h was mindful - but nowhere as
serious - as the 'great storm of '72
where schools, roads and services
were shut down for several days in
succession and literally thousands
Dear Santa,
I want hotshot basketball, a racing
car set, remote control car, hockey
game, experiments, creepy crawler
oven, balloon kit, Lego Recon
Robot, Jurassic Park, Mighty Max
batmobile, Robin, Lego King
Kahuka's throne. How is Rudolph?
Does his nose still shine? Do the
reindeers fight? How's Mrs. Claus?
From Brett O'Reilly
Grade 1
St. Columban .School
Dear Santa
How are you doing. I'm fine.
How is Rudolph. Can I have a Sega
and Sonic and Knuckels?
Your friend
Cody Machan
Grade 2H
Seaforth Public School
Dear Santa
Hello! For Christmas I want a big
present or a lot of little presents.
My little sister wants some sur-
prises and my little brother wants
surprises too. Thank you for every-
thing you got us last year. 1 will
leave you some cookies for you.
And a carrot for Rudolph.
Sincerely,
Krista Forde,
Grade 2H
Seaforth Public School
Dear Santa
I have been a good boy this year
so can I have a Sega Genesis and a
Power Ranger game. I also want a
remote control car or truck and a
race track to go with it and 1 want
to get a pair of batman shoes. What
are your elf names? For my brother
a Power Ranger toy for me some of
the Little Power Ranger toys and a
little bear for my sister.
your friend
Cornelius Klassen
Grade 3H
Seaforth Public School
Dear Santa Claus
For Christmas 1 would like a
remote control turbo wheels and a
Super Nintendo, the game Aladdin
and that's all I want.
Thanks for the dinosaur and the
other stuff last year. I promise I
will leave cookies, milk and
carrots. Please get this stuff.
From
Daryl Hulley
Grade 1
Scaforth Public School
Seddcu4
ID
HANI4 tik
Members of Carroll family walk by school fence in file photo.
of kids and their teachers were
stranded at local schools. I remem-
ber leading a convoy of snowmo-
biles, carrying food and blankets to
Holmesville Public School from my
then home in Goderich. We
travelled over 10 foot drifts atop
numerous cars and stranded
vehicles along Hwy 8 to get there!
My earliest recollection of winter
onslaughts of the 'old-fashioned
style' goes back to the late '40s
when I stood with my Father along
a Colborne Township roadside on
the top of a snowdrift with the
telephone (telegraph) wires quite
within reach of my then rive -year
old stature.
Winter! Is it getting better or
worse? Naw - just a little more
extreme. But that's the natural
perception as the 'fun' and
'excitement' of winter turns into a
middle-aged perception that the
blustery season brings only
'treachery' and 'work'!
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa
The existence of Santa Claus has often been called into question by
youngsters the world over at this time of year. No better response has
ever been given than that penned by Francis Church, an editorial writer
for the New York Sun, that was published on Sept. 21, 1897.
The wise old newspaperman was answering the following tetter:
"Dear Editor:
I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa
Claus. Papa says 'If you sec it in the Sun it's so.Please tell me the
truth, is there a Santa Claus?
Virginia O'Hanlon •
115 West 95th Street
New York City"
Church's answer, as relevant today as it was a century ago, follows:
"Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by
the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except they see.
They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their
little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's
are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in
his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as
measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole truth and
knowledge.
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love
and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and
give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be
the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there
were no Virginias. There would be no child -like faith, then, no poetry,
no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no
enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which
childhood fills the world would be extinguished.
Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies!
You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on
Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa
Claus coming down what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus,
but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in
the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever
see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that
they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders
there are unseen and unseeable in the world.
You tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside,
but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest
man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever
lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can
push aside that curtain and view - and picture the supernal beauty and
glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is
nothing else real and abiding.
No Santa Claus! Thank God he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand
years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now
he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood."
ave ourself
Anary
ittle hristrgas
Thanks to all our friends and
neighbours for your wonderful
loyalty and support- May you and
your loved ones enjoy the holiday
wonders you no richly deserve.
SEAFORTH
SEWING CENTRE
Main St. S..forth 5274900
Throughout the world,
peace and harmony
prevail as we celebrate
this most joyous of times.
To all we wish a season of
joy and a world of thanks.
DAVIES
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887-9595
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