There is much good news to share, especially at this joyous time of year. Yes, it is the Christmas season and, to be honest, nobody other than the rare Scrooge among us wants to read about jeers this week.
Therefore, we shall dispense from our typical Saturday fare of Cheers & Jeers and offer only Cheers today. Yes, nothing but Cheers — along with wishes for a merry Christmas and joyous holiday season to all.
Cheers: To the Christmas experience. After about a decade as a mall Santa, Woodland’s Brian Trembley has carved out a more personal way to visit Old Saint Nick. Along with his wife and daughter, Trembley turns a shed on his property into a heavily decorated Santa’s Chalet and welcomes visitors for a chat and photos with the jolly one. The enterprise is so popular that reservations are required, and visitors pay anywhere from $40 to $80 depending on group size. “I think of myself in the suit as a present for the kids,” Trembley said. “They get to open it, experience it and wrap it up for the next person.”
Meanwhile, Christmas at Fort Vancouver drew thousands of visitors interested in experiencing the holiday as it was celebrated some 170 years ago. With singers, dancers and arts and crafts, the event harkens back to the earliest days of European settlement in the region — once again demonstrating that there are countless ways to celebrate the Christmas season.
Cheers: To generosity. Clark County residents donated more than 276,000 pounds of food for the recent Walk & Knock Food Drive. The food, along with numerous financial contributions, goes to the Clark County Food Bank to help feed those in need throughout the year.
“Year after year, this community steps up to care for its most vulnerable to make sure they get the food they need,” food bank President Alan Hamilton said.
Cheers: To paying it forward. A Seattle woman who died last year at the age of 101 has donated about $10 million to colleges in Western Washington. Each of the community and technical colleges (Clark College was not included) will receive about $550,000 from the estate of Eva Gordon.
Gordon worked as a legal secretary for an investment firm and then married a stock broker. She had wanted to attend college but could not afford it. “A lot of people didn’t know the wealth she had,” a family representative said. The funds must be used to help students attend college.
Cheers: To reunions. A Cornelius, Ore., woman has been reunited with her high school class ring, which she had not seen in 44 years. Reports OregonLive.com: “The ring was stolen, then somehow lost, and ultimately traveled, in ways we may never understand, 34 miles away into a pile of dirt.”
There is was found by a woman tilling her garden. An inscription on the ring, a little detective work and a Facebook post reunited Lori Hitt Gregory with the ring that went missing more than four decades ago. “The whole thing blows me away,” Gregory said.
Cheers: To the light of the season. As detailed in The Columbian, numerous homeowners throughout Clark County allow their Christmas spirit to shine through elaborate light displays. This weekend would be an ideal time to explore the region and see how the holiday glows throughout the county.
An interactive map at Columbian.com provides details and can direct you to the homes, including those that have music synchronized to animated displays. Yes, Christmas cheer is abundant throughout the area — although some neighbors might not be thrilled.
