OPINION
We had another great year in Cornwall TODD LIHOU todd.lihou@tc.tc
It was a great year – but, let’s face it, they’re all great to one degree or another. At this time of year, when the calendar is nearly measuring the number of days remaining in single digits, we often look back at the previous 12 months and marvel at what we have accomplished. Rarely, though, do we take stock of what we actually have. I took a spin through our web stats for 2014, trying to find a common theme among the top stories you clicked on this year. The typical muck and mayhem of any community was front and centre. The tragic death of Danny Lefebvre, of St-Louis De Gonzague, Que., who was racing as a replacement driver at the Cornwall Motor Speedway in June was the top single story. The discovery of a body in the Cornwall canal just a few weeks ago also ranked close to the top. It’s not exactly material one wants to rehash in a column at Christmas time, but there was a common theme this year, when one gets past
the hard news stories like the ones I’ve already mentioned. The passing of Stephanie Grady, a popular local teacher who succumbed to a rare form of cancer, was close to the top of the list…and so was nearly every story we wrote about the efforts of her family and friends to help Stephanie through her time of trial. That’s not on us – it’s because of you. The fact is, the life (not the death) of Stephanie Grady was celebrated in the community like so many other cancer patients – with grace and passion. And when I looked beyond the headlines of stories about robberies, car crashes and city hall debacles I found items related to community involvement, selflessness and caring. You clicked on those stories, I think, because you’re interested in the lives of your fellow Cornwallites and (most importantly) you want to help. My wife and I (and some guy named Brazeau) took Thursday afternoon off (don’t tell the boss) and went down to the Cornwall Armoury to help with Children’s Christmas Fund activities. It was your typical organized chaos, as volunteers circled the Armoury, stopping at
stations along the route filling grocery carts with food items, and in some cases toys, for needy families in and around our city. More than 1,300 families availed themselves of the service. Many of the families had the items delivered to them by volunteer drivers, while others (almost dejectedly) accepted the free items in person…many walking up to the back door of the Armoury to grab their bags and escape, lest they be spotted by a familiar face
and labelled. The common theme at the Armoury, not unlike our list of top stories for the year, was caring. Every face among the dozens (hundreds?) of volunteers was smiling. Every voice was cheerful, and every pair of hands was more than happy to help. We’re a lot of things in this city…but selfish and uncaring are not on the list. See you in 2015 :).
Some Christmas fare to celebrate the holidays We’re skipping the usual Musings’ fare for something in tune with the season, leading off with the annual Christmas trivia teaser. CHRISTMAS MOVIE THAT HAD THE FOLLOWING LINES: “Every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings.” “You’ll shoot your eye out kid.” “Uh, since the United States Government declares this man to be Santa Claus, this court will not dispute it. Case dismissed!” “We elves try to stick to the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corns and syrup.” “It’s all humbug, It tell you. Humbug!” “Okay, this is extremely important. Will you please tell Santa that instead of presents this I year, I just want my family back.” **** Alvin the Chipmunk wants this for Christmas? According to the Bible, how many Wise Men brought gifts to Baby Jesus? Where does the Grinch live? What were Frosty’s last words? What is the biggest selling Christmas single of all time? Name the reindeer whose names begin with “D”?
The most popular toy of 1984 was named after this vegetable. YULETIDE THOUGHTS Remember the good old days when people would stop Christmas shopping when they ran out of money. The great child actress Shirley Temple told a Hollywood newspaper that she stopped believing in Santa when she was just six. “My mother took me to a department store (to meet Santa) and he asked me for my autograph.” Hey, if you are down in the dumps about being single this time of year, consider this: Kim Kardashian is single 293 days of the year. There is nothing like a traditional North American Christmas: an artificial tree made in Thailand, ornaments from China and lights from Japan. You start getting clothes for Christmas when you stop believing in Santa. DEAR SANTA: Some of the Dear Santa missives scribbled by urchins and published by wishlist.com: “Please text my dad. He wrote the whole list.” “Can you please get me a camera because I want one.” “Please bring me a big fat bank account and a slim body. Don’t mix them up like you did last Christmas.” “Its Claire again. but I’m writing for my 9
yeared old brother named Mitch. He wants a binder, binder hole pucher (I want a hole pucher, too) and sakeboard (but don’t give the saket bord to him. Mitch is very kind-hearted but has a bad temper. He also writes messy and doesn’t like to read.” “Dear Santa, if you bring presents bring batteries.” “I’m worried my mumys house doesn’t have a big enuf chimnee.” “Hi I’m Deaven. I would like to know are you reel. I belive, but my Friends don’t so can you give me a sighed picture of you and Ms Clause or something else. Are you relly fat!” YULE TIDBITS St. Francis of Assisi introduced Christmas Carols to formal church services. We have Santa Claus in Canada (and the U.S.), Germany has Christkind, Holland has St. Nicholas, Russia has Grandfather Frost, France has Pere Noel, England has Father Christmas, Brazil has Papa Noel, Italy has La Bafana and Belgium has Pere Noel for those who speak French while the Walloon language has St. Nicholas. Born on Christmas Day - W. C. Fields (1880), who had a strong dislike for kids and animals, hotel owner Conrad Hilton (1887), actor Humphrey Bogart (1899), singer Jimmy Buffet (1946) and politician Justin Trudeau (1971).
Actors Dean Martin (1995), Charlie Chaplin (1977) and explorer Samuel de Champlain (1635) died on Christmas Day. The first commercial Christmas card was produced in 1846. On Dec. 25, 1914, just months into the First World War, an impromptu truce broke out on the Western Front when German, French and English combatants put down their weapons and emerged from the trenches to wish each other Merry Christmas. The bizarre event became known as the (one-day) Christmas Truce. TRIVIA ANSWERS 1) A hula-hoop, which was the rage the year before the song was released in 1958, 2) It doesn’t say, 3) On Mount Crumpit, 4) “I’ll be back again someday.”, 5) Bing Crosby’s White Christmas which has sold more than 30 million copies, 6) Dasher, Dancer and Donner, 7) Cabbage Patch dolls which were the craze of the 1980s. MOVIE QUIZ 1) It’s a Wonderful Life, 2) A Christmas Story, 3) Miracle on 34th Street, 4) Will Ferrell in Elf, 5) Scrooge (1951 version), 6) Macaulay Culkin’s prayer in Home Alone. ANSWER TO LAST WEEK’S TRIVIA Premier Leslie Frost official opened the new Hotel Dieu Hospital on Sept. 5, 1955.
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14 - Thursday, December 25, 2014
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