With Christmas three days away, instead of our typical Saturday Cheers & Jeers, we offer only cheers today. Because nobody wants to focus on negative news during the holidays.
Cheers: To Christmas generosity. Businessman Mark Matthias and Court of Appeals Judge Rich Melnick are at it again, preparing to serve free dinners at WareHouse ’23 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Christmas Day. “We will serve anybody who shows up,” said Melnick, who annually works with Matthias — owner of Beaches and WareHouse ’23 — and Chuck Chronis to provide Thanksgiving meals. “We think Santa’s going to make an appearance, if he’s not too tired,” Melnick said.
Meanwhile, Bleu Door Bakery on Main Street in Uptown Village is planning to feed 500 homeless people on Christmas; a Christmas Eve breakfast is planned at the Camas Community Center; and Christmas dinner is scheduled for Hathaway Elementary School in Washougal. We apologize if we missed any others who are celebrating Christmas by providing meals for their needy neighbors. Our community is blessed to have many charitable acts on display throughout the holidays.
Cheers: To Sean Geisler. The Vancouver teen was recently pushing two shopping carts filled with stuffed animals at Ikea in Portland when a stranger approached. “I don’t know what you’re doing, but I know it’s good. Merry Christmas,” the visitor said, handing Geisler $20.
Geisler, in fact, was purchasing stuffed animals for donation to the Heavy Helpers program at Children’s Center in East Vancouver. The program deconstructs stuffed animals and reconstructs them with added weight for use in calming anxiety during counseling sessions. Cheers go to Geisler for pitching in where there is a need, and also to his unknown benefactor.
Cheers: To public art. Taking a brief respite from Christmas-related items, we applaud Washougal for its approach to public art. The city recently unveiled the final piece in a series of artwork — “Water,” by Wendy Armstrong. Columbian reporter Scott Hewitt described the piece: “a glittering assemblage of stainless-steel bubbles, wind-catching ladles, lightning strikes and, prominent above all that, one humongous fish.”
“Water” joins three other works created by Washougal’s Woman Who Weld group, with the collective effort giving the city an affordable way to provide eye-catching art. Public art “beautifies our city and it adds interest to the street,” Washougal parks commissioner Shirley Scott said. “It gets people talking.”
Cheers: To remembrances. The Lewis & Clark Young Marines recently led the way in placing 2,000 wreaths on the graves of veterans at Evergreen Memorial Gardens in East Vancouver. It was part of the Wreaths Across America program designed to remember those who have defended this nation. “Green represents the land that is protected and defended against by our brave men and women,” and red signifies the blood that was shed, Master Sgt. Josiah Morales said of the wreaths.
Cheers go to the volunteers who took part, and especially to the military members who nobly served their country.
Cheers: To keeping warm. Boy Scouts from the Columbia Gorge and Fort Vancouver districts plan to collect new or gently used winter coats during their annual Christmas tree pickup on Jan. 5. Coats will be donated to Friends of the Carpenter for distribution to needy people.
We’re sure we have missed many local organizations who are embracing the meaning of the Christmas season, but we only have so much room. Merry Christmas to all.
