Depending on whether you live in town or on a rural route, you’re either reading this newspaper as the Christmas issue or the New Year’s edition or both. We’ve had to move the deadline up a day so we could get this in the mail early enough for some of our subscribers to get it prior to Christmas Day. It’s a day early next week as well because of New Years.
The real Christmas edition was last week with all the Letters to Santa and the last minute holiday ads, but I realized I didn’t take the opportunity to say Merry Christmas to all our readers. Whether you pick up your newspaper at one of our various news stands or are a loyal subscriber, we value your patronage and hope you continue to come to us for your Oroville and Tonasket area news.
I do say Merry Christmas, but I’ve been known to mix it up with Happy Holidays this time of year. I have a few Jewish friends and had a few Muslim friends in college, so wishing everyone the best at this time of year just makes sense. I think the so-called ‘War on Christmas’ is just so much reindeer poop, but some television and radio talking heads would have you believe we’re at DEFCON 1 as far as the Christmas front. If there is a war on Christmas, I think Christmas is winning judging by how early the television commercials start.
That’s it for the political commentary this week other than to remind everyone just what the season is about. Sure presents and Santa are nice, but seeing children gathered round a creche or performing as characters in a manger scene is a greater gift. All wanting to see the baby Jesus – to see that kind of wonder in their eyes is magical and can reinstall in us the same sort of wonder and innocence many of us once had ourselves.
This is our last issue of the year, Volume 108, Week 52, and the Gazette-Tribune will begin it’s 109th year.
Although he hadn’t been around quite that long, we’ve received word that Web Hallauer has died at 99. The former Washington State Senator and first head of he state’s Department of Ecology made Oroville his home. He has been a big influence in state and local politics over the years. He was also quite the historian, knowing much about the area’s mining and history on both sides of the border. He contributed many, many articles and letters to this newspaper over the years and was the founder and publisher of the Tonasket Times. He will be missed by many and our prayers go out to his family. We don’t have his obituary yet, but a spring memorial is being planned.
Well, we at the G-T hope that 2014 brings you and yours all the best.
