Wright News

12/25/2006

Wright News by Jennie K. Hanson December 25, 2006

Mele Kalikimaka - Hau’oli Makahiki Hou!  That’s Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in Hawaiian!  As most of you already know, our youngest Son Curtis is living in Hawaii, so we need and want to learn a little of the Hawaiian language.

Well, it’s official!  I’ve turned into my late Uncle Einar Dahlman.  Years ago, when Einar’s wife Dorothy died, Einar stopped getting a real Christmas Tree and started putting up an artificial tree.  It must have been a gift from his son Carl, but the tree was a 6 to 7 footer with lights and all the usual decorations.  After a few years, Einar would just put up the top half of the tree and later ended up putting a large garbage bag over the tree after Christmas and hauling it up to the attic for the year and bringing it down again every December.  He never even took off the lights or decorations.  I thought that was so weird!  How could anyone do Christmas that way?

Well, guess what?  All I had to do to put up the tree this year was walk out to the “Teacher Shed” find the big garbage bag with our artificial tree inside and haul it into the house.  Yes, you guessed it.  The lights and decorations were still on that 4-foot tree from last year and all I had to do was set it up, straighten the decorations and lights and plug it in.  Oh, I did put up a few strands of lights and garland in the archways of the house, but I buy new strings of lights every year because they usually burn out over the winter for some reason.  It’s also too hard to untangle them anyway.  And since I never unplug them over Christmas, they usually burn out from being on continuously for 30 - 40 days in a row anyway.

So, there you have it.  I’m now a member of the Geezers and Proud of it!

An informal Farewell was given to Lindsay Lally on the last day of school. The staff had purchased a cake and she was given a farewell speech by the Principal, Tom Cawcutt at the special Christmas Dinner at school on her last day, December 22, 2006.  The whole high school and elementary grades and also staff gave her a huge round of applause and a standing ovation.  She will be missed at school, but the 3rd grade is in the capable hands of Christie Eliason.

On Lindsay’s last day, one of her students, Jenna Koenig wrote her a farewell poem called “You Taught Me”.  Here it is:

YOU TAUGHT ME

I did not know how to write in cursive.

You taught me.

I did not know how to measure.

You taught me.

I did not know how to do grammar.

You taught me.

And I did not know many things, but now I do.

One of the most important things you taught me was to miss a dear friend and teacher.

By Jenna Koenig, 3rd Grade

Written on December 22, 2006

The Excess Debt Service Levy Bond Referendum passed by a vote of 121 YES votes to 5O Votes.  This means that any excess money collected in taxes to pay off bonds will stay in the district instead of going back into the state coffers.

The Area Clothing Depot will be CLOSED December 30th and January 2nd. Thank you for all the donations and support over the past year and years and especially all our volunteers and our wonderful manager: Beanie Randa.

Bob and Sandy Howard hosted a wonderful pre-holiday party at their home on Tamarack Lake on December 18th.  Their home is truly lovely and their hospitality is even lovelier.  Everyone who was there enjoyed them selves immensely.

Household Hint: This isn’t really a household hint, but it is something I do every year on January 1st.  I go through my blank checks and write 2007 on the year line for a whole book of checks so I don’t forget and put the wrong year while writing checks later on in the month.  It works for me and after a while it’s easier to remember the new year date.

Bible Verse: Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.  Mark 8: 34.

That’s all the news from Lake Happynewyear and Hello to all my readers! Thanks for all the encouraging remarks about the “Wright News”.  It really makes my day when people appreciate all the work that goes into writing the news.