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A Special Supplement to Sun Publishing Company

If the best gifts come fromthe heart, certainly the next-best gifts come from thekitchen. Culinary treats can beperfect presents for your foodiefriends or just about anyone onyour list. Food gifts are espe-cially perfect for friends, neigh-bors, teachers, and others forwhom more elaborate gifts areneither expected nor required.What's more, the possibilitiesare endless and can be adjust-ed for varying palates, aller-gies and preferences. Here areseveral suggestions for servingup delicious holiday gifts thisseason.

SUGARJust about everyone looks

forward to seasonal sweets,from Christmas cookies tojelly doughnuts for Chanukahto benne cakes or sweet potatopie for the final feast ofKwanzaa.

Rethink your cookies.:When it comes to culinarydelights, there's nothing wrongwith sticking to the basics. Butif you want to put a twist ontradition, consider some alter-natives to the holiday cookiesampler, such as decoratinggreeting-card-sized cookieswith personalized messages,filling decorative jars with allof the dry ingredients neededfor your favorite cookie recipeor giving the gift of dough --three different kinds of cookiedough rolled into logs, wrappedin wax paper and tied at theends with festive ribbons.

Take a dip.: Dipping store-bought confections such as pep-permint sticks, candy canes,candied orange peel, shortbreadcookies, or even fresh figs ingood-quality chocolate (a mixof dark, milk and white choco-late is even better!) will trans-form these everyday items intoholiday-worthy gifts.

Think drinks.: Nothing takesthe chill out of a coldDecember morning like hotchocolate -- especially whenit's homemade. Make your ownmix with ground chocolate andsugar or package a high-qualitystore brand in a festively deco-rated jar, then add some pepper-

mint sticks, chocolate-coatedspoons or homemade marsh-mallows to the mix.

Have a jam session.:Handmade jams, preserves andfruit compotes are alwaysappreciated. Your creation canbe accompanied by the recipe,some scones or great toasting

bread, or even a decorativeserving jam jar.

Bark that's as good as itsbite.: Chocolate bark is a deli-cious no-bake gift that's so easyto make you'll wonder whyyou've waited so long to try it.Recipes are everywhere andyou can customize the barkwith your recipients' favoritenuts, dried fruits and other tastytidbits

AND SPICEFor people who love to cook,

great ingredients make exquis-ite gifts. Think about givingyour favorite foodie the gift offlavor in the form of spices,either from the bulk aisle atyour favorite upscale grocerychain or a well-loved specialtyretailer. Since spices don't stayfresh forever, your culinaryconnoisseur is sure to appreci-ate a new assortment. For themore adventurous cooks onyour list, consider purchasing afew special spices, such as saf-fron or vanilla -- either the bean

or a high-quality extract. Spicescan be purchased in smallamounts and then presented indecorative airtight jars withhandwritten labels. Otheroptions include making andgiving your own spice blendsand purchasing whole spices,such as nutmeg or allspice, andpresenting them along with theappropriate tool for grindingor grating them.

AND EVERYTHINGNICE

Themed baskets of food willgenerate big smiles fromeveryone on your holiday list.Putting together an assortmentof items for a particular mealor kind of cooking is as muchfun for the giver as it is for thereceiver. Here are some ideasthat are both simple and spe-cial.

Breakfast basket.: Fill abasket with homemade pan-cake and waffle mix and a bot-tle of real maple syrup, or gocontinental with a batch offreshly baked scones and a jarof lemon curd. For the caffeinelover, two mugs, one filledwith a favorite gourmet coffeeor tea and the other packed

with some homemade pastriesor a jar of jam.

Pasta basket.: The center-piece of this gift could be a jarof your famous spaghetti sauce,which is surrounded by a pack-age of fresh pasta, a bulb ofgarlic and a wedge of Parmesancheese.

Pizza basket.: Start with apackage of homemade pizzadough, add a jar of pizza sauceor pesto made from the basil inyour garden, then decorate thebasket with a merry mix ofcheeses and popular pizza add-ons, such as pepperoni, olives,olive oil, garlic, mushrooms,sundried tomatoes, and smallpackets of spices, such asoregano or red pepper flakes.

To ensure that your giftsdon't go to waste, be sure to addinstructions for storing andhandling the food -- especiallythose items that need to berefrigerated.

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Christmas 2009 - Page 15

As long as Christmas treeshave been a part of the holidayseason, so, too, has been thedebate over real or man-madetrees. Each side has its support-ers and detractors, and both havereal and man-made Christmastrees have their pros and cons.

When deciding whether or notto go to the nearby tree farm orthe department store for yourholiday tree this season, consid-er the following factors.

What Will a Natural TreeCost?: Natural trees can vary inprice depending on where yougo. Prices can range from lessthan $20 to more than $50.When making the decision, it'simportant to keep in mind that atree does not last very long, andtherefore investing too muchmoney might not be the bestway to spend your money.However, there are options topurchase real trees with the rootball intact, which enables home-owners to plant the tree in theiryard after the season.

What Will an Artificial TreeCost?: Artificial trees will ini-

tially have a higher price tagthan their natural counterparts.However, they are also morecost-effective because they canbe used for several years aftertheir initial purchases. There isalso no need to purchase acces-sories such as tree stands and

watering devices with an artifi-cial tree, which are typicallynecessary with a natural tree.

How Easily Can a NaturalTree Be Moved?: The Christmastree lot or farm does take stepsto make it easier to lift and movethe tree, but there's still the chal-lenge of getting it home. Many,whether driving a car or SUV,choose to put the tree on the roofof their vehicle, but then worryabout the tree blowing off on thehighway. Then's there the issueof getting the tree through thedoorway, an especially difficulttask for homeowners with olderhomes, where doorways areoften much smaller compared tonewer homes. Bring the tree intothe home can also leave trails ofpine needles from the car tohouse. That's a problem that canstill be around throughout theyear, as those pesky pine needlescan be difficult to banish.

How Easily Can an ArtificialTree Be Moved?: Clearly, artifi-cial trees are more advantageouswhen it comes to moving them.Because they're often boxed,these trees are lightweight andeasy to maneuver into the house.Whether a house is old or newreally does not matter when it

comes to an artificial tree thanksto the packaging.

What Does a Natural TreeLook Like?: Where natural treesupporters often stake theirbiggest claim is the tree's aes-thetic appeal. Supporters feel anatural tree is much more aes-thetically appealing. However,those buying late might be stuckwith all that's left, long after themore desirable trees have founda living room in which to spendthe season.

What Does an Artificial TreeLook Like?: While some likethe real look of a natural tree,others like their holiday tree tobe perfect, with none of thewarts of a natural tree. Artificialtrees, unless poorly produced,have no warts, as they're manmade. Also, an artificial treeguarantees its owners the samelook each and every holiday sea-son.

What Is the EnvironmentalImpact of a Natural Tree?:Natural trees are actually muchmore environmentally friendlythan they initially appear.Christmas trees are planted forthe express purpose of the holi-day season, and large numbersof new trees are planted eachyear to replenish the stock in anenvironmentally friendly way.In addition, once the season hasended, many trees are recycledand used as sand and soil ero-sion barriers.

What Is the EnvironmentalImpact of Artificial Trees?:Artificial trees often come witha host of safety warnings. That'sbecause they are made from avariety of materials, includingPVC (polyvinyl chloride) andmetals, which can put toxinsinto the air during production.That is why there are lead warn-ing labels on some artificialtrees. Artificial tree buyers mustbe careful of erecting artificialtrees in homes with small chil-dren or pets, as consumption canbe toxic. Another thing to con-sider is that many artificial treescannot be recycled, so there isno environmentally friendly wayof disposing of them whenhomeowners decide it's time toreplace them.

Page 2 - Christmas 2009

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Artificial vs. Natural:Pros and Cons of Both Tree Types

Inspired holiday giftsfrom the kitchen

Holiday cookies are a culinarytreat that nearly everyone canenjoy.

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from PETCOA house decorated for Christmas

can present some hazards for pets,primarily because they will be curi-ous about all the new items hang-ing around the house. PETCOAnimal Supplies, Inc. offers thesetips to ensure that your pets have ahealthy and happy holiday:

o Christmas Trees: Pine nee-dles can get lodged in an animal'sesophagus, making it painfullyprickly for your pet to swallow.Drinking the water from theChristmas tree base is enough tocause diarrhea, mouth sores, vom-iting and loss of appetite.

o Deck the Halls: A bunch ofmistletoe may tempt a festive kiss,but eating this holiday greenery

could cause a drop in blood pres-sure, as well as vomiting andswollen throat and mouth tissue.Other holiday foliage, includingHolly and Poinsettias, contain tox-ins that could lead to severe stom-ach problems, as well as skin,mouth and eye irritation. Worseyet, Yew is extremely toxic, andone mouthful could be deadly.

o Tinsel and Lights: A flicker-ing flame and shiny decorationsintrigue companion animals. Whenlighting the menorah, adventwreath or decorative candles, keeppets in another room where pawsand claws can't reach them. Withelectrical lights, remember to tapeexposed electrical cords to walls orfloors to ensure no chewing or trip-

ping. Tinsel and wrapping papermay look like fun toys, but theycan cause choking, upset stomachor more serious problems.

o Visions of Sugar Plums:PETCO knows that cookies andcandies are as much about holidaytradition as a snowy street scene;however, some of them can be dan-gerous to your pets. For example,chocolate contains a chemicalknown as theobromine, which canbe highly toxic to your four-leggedfriends.

o Antifreeze Alert: The onset ofwinter often means new antifreezefor the family car, which is a sub-stance that can be especially harm-ful to the family pet. Antifreezecontains ethylene glycol, which

causes rapid and permanent kidneydamage to your companion animalif ingested in even small amounts.

Finally, the best present you can

give to your pets this holiday sea-son is good health and some extraloving attention.

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The business, located at 300W. Main Street in Batavia, isowned by Steve and ShirleyHandra.

Since 1967, Batavia ElectricSupply has been the place to gofor electric supplies, light fix-tures, paddle fans, and many

other items.The family-owned, customer-

driven business serves a widerange of markets, from electri-cal and specialty contractors, toresidential, commercial, andindustrial customers and ‘do-it-yourselfers.’

Batavia Electrical Supplysells only quality products,such as Cutler Hammer, Pass

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With a combined 120 yearsof experience in the business,service is number one atBatavia Electric Supply.

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Christmas 2009 - Page 3Page 14 - Christmas 2009

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It's that season for makingparty rounds and opening uphomes to friends and family.Maybe it's your turn to play hostor hostess and you're not surewhere to start or how to set yourparty apart from the others.More importantly, you want toensure guests have a good time.Here are a few ideas how.

Play games: Scour the gameaisle of your favorite store forboard or action games thatwould work well in large groups.Or, modify baby or bridal show-er games to fit a holiday theme.Door prize games, or "Pin theRed Nose on Rudolph" are sillyideas that can add up to fun,especially when the cocktails areflowing.

Create the mood with lightsand music: Christmas and NewYear's are celebrated in mostareas during the darkest days ofwinter. So shed light on your fes-tivities with plenty of twinkling

lights and votive candles. Createa holiday playlist on your MP3player and make sure the tunescontinue all night long.

Involve guests in decorating:Short on time? Gather up sup-plies for decorating and adver-tise that you're having a tree-trimming or house-trimmingparty on your invitations. Allowguests to get crafty and beinvolved in dressing up yourhome.

Don't fret about food: Youdon't have to be a gourmet chefto host a winning party. If foodisn't your forte, don't worryabout catering the event or look-ing to pre-packaged appetizersand snacks. As guests mingleand hop from party to party,they're not going to be lookingfor an elaborate sit-down dinner.Fresh veggies and dips, bite-sized finger foods and the likeare standard party fare. If youwant to get creative, take any of

your favorite foods and justmake them in miniature. Tinyburgers, bite-sized pizzas, andeven small peanut butter andjelly sandwiches can delight.

Cocktail savvy: Stock the barwith the old standards for varietyand come up with one signaturedrink you can make in bulk.Why not try a frosty punch andgive it a theme-inspired name,such as "Winter Wonderland"?Be sure to have plenty of non-alcoholic drinks on hand forthose designated drivers.

Dessert bar: Top off theevening with a dessert bar whereguests can create and garnishtheir own desserts. Set out icecream and fixings, a fondue potwith skewers of fruit, differentpies with nuts and whippedcream, or any other combinationyou can think of.

Try out a couple of these tipsfor a memorable evening thatdoesn't take much planning.

Holiday entertaining - dial up the fun factor

Keeping your pets safe this Christmas Season

SunQuest Hair Designs is a fullservice salon and tanning centerthat caters to the entire family andhas been serving the BrownCounty area for 20 years.

“SunQuest has a family-friendly,clean and professional atmospherethat clients enjoy,” said AngelaIsner, of Sardinia, who started thebusiness when her two sons, Ericand Michael, were children. “Ithoroughly enjoy operatingSunQuest and want to thank arearesidents for their business.”

The SunQuest staff makes it apriority to know their clientele.They focus on meeting the needs ofthe client by really taking the timeto listen and to create a specific andindividual style for each client.

Another priority to the staff iskeeping up to date on the latesttrends and techniques in both hair

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From Christmas stockingsand mistletoe to smiling Santasand burning yule logs, thesymbols of the season are sopowerful that people seldomstop to think about their ori-gins. But one of the most com-mon symbols of Christmas --atleast in the United States andCanada -- is the twinklingChristmas tree, which is oftendepicted with piles of shinygifts under its bottom branch-es.

While most of us take thesekinds of holiday images forgranted, many of us aren't surewhere the traditions started orhow they became associatedwith Christmas. Whetheryou've always wondered aboutthe origins of the Christmastree or are simply in need ofsome seasonal small talk forthis year's holiday parties, thefollowing should add someinsight into the origins of thispopular holiday tradition.

A Growing TraditionIn the U.S. and Canada, the

Christmas tree has become oneof the foremost symbols of theholiday season. But the originof the beloved holiday ever-green has been debated forcenturies, with some historiansasserting that it has Christianroots and others contendingthat its roots are pagan.However, many explanationstrace the custom of having adecorated evergreen tree insidethe home to 16th centuryGermany, while others go back300 years earlier to a traditionthat began with the MiraclePlays sponsored by localchurches.

While its specific origin isunclear, we do know that theChristmas tree tradition spreadfirst across Europe and thenthroughout the world. In theU.S., Christmas trees werefirst seen in communities withprominent German populationsin the late 18th and early 19thcentury. Two communities inparticular -- Windsor Locks,Connecticut and Easton,Pennsylvania -- lay claim to

being the "birthplace" of theAmerican Christmas tree tradi-tion.

Throughout the world,Christmas trees are a symbolof the continuation of lifethrough the dark, cold monthsof winter and are linked bothto the winter solstice and thebelief that the birth of Jesus

brought light into the world. Inmany parts of the world,Christmas trees have long beenset up and taken down accord-ing to the calendar.Traditionally, they werebrought into the house onChristmas Eve and removedthe day after Twelfth Night(January 6th), and varyingfrom these dates was consid-ered bad luck.

Red + Green = ChristmasWhile the colors green and

red are now synonymous withChristmas, the association ofthese colors with the holidayoriginally had nothing to dowith Santa, elves or evenmistletoe. Like so much holi-day lore, the origins of the red-

and-green Christmas themehave long been debated, butthe explanation that appears tobe most deeply rooted in factbegins in 14th century Europe,when Adam and Eve's Day wascelebrated each year onDecember 24th. At that time,churches presented dramaticperformances --called MiraclePlays -- that were intended toteach religious topics to alargely illiterate population.For Adam and Eve's Day, peo-ple gathered to watch the"Paradise Play," which pre-sented the story of Adam andEve in the Garden of Eden.Since no apple trees wereavailable in the middle of win-ter to represent the Tree ofGood and Evil on stage, a pinetree with apples tied to itsbranches was used instead.

The use of a "makeshift"apple tree worked so well thatmany churches adopted its use.The "Paradise Tree" eventuallybecame so popular in Germanythat people started to erectevergreen trees in their homesand decorate them with redapples. Over time, the green ofthe trees and the red of theapples became widely associ-ated with the celebration ofChristmas.

Light Up the HolidayBefore the invention of the

light bulb, families in manyparts of the world broughtlight into their homes duringthe cold holiday season byplacing candles in theirChristmas trees. While thiscustom was extremely danger-ous and caused many fires, itwasn't until the early 20th cen-tury that most people hadaccess to electric Christmastree lights. Edward H.Johnson, a friend and businesspartner of Thomas Edison, wasthe first to string togetherlights for the purpose of deco-rating a Christmas tree in1882. However, Christmaslight kits were not availableuntil 1903 and, until then, onlyvery wealthy families couldafford to light up their trees.

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Christmas 2009 - Page 13

The holidays are a time forfamily and friends to gather andshare the joys of the season.While many families are facedwith the need to scale backtheir holiday celebrations andexpectations, it's good to knowthat memorable holidayscan be both frugal and fes-tive. By doing a little extraplanning and reclaimingsome of the traditions ofsimpler times, it's possibleto discover that less reallycan be more. Make yourholiday season both merryand memorable with thefollowing money-savingtips:

* Make a plan. Create a planfor holiday spending and giftgiving. List possible gifts, howmuch you expect to pay, whatyou can afford to pay, and alter-natives. Once you determinehow much you can afford tospend on each gift, stick to yourplan. Always look for sales andpay in cash or with debit cardswhenever possible. Compareprices online. Check the ship-ping charges. For kids, considerbuying one nice gift rather than

a lot of smaller ones.* Timing is everything.

While the best deals on greet-ing cards can be found after theholidays, some do go on sale inDecember. It's also worthremembering that postcards are

less expensive and also costless to mail. And if you'rehandy with scissors, you cantransform last year's greetingcards into this year's festiveholiday postcards. In addition,it pays to mail packages early.The longer you wait, the moreit will cost to make sure thatyour gifts arrive on time.

* It's a wrap. Wrappingpaper, like most other seasonalitems, is deeply discountedafter the holidays. If you didn'tcatch last year's after-Christmas sales, consider usingthe comics from your localnewspaper as wrapping paper.A roll of white butcher paperand assorted sizes of paper bagscan be transformed into worksof art that double as gift pack-aging. And last year's holidaycards can be cut into wonderfulgift tags.

* Nurture nature.Homemade decorations and

ornaments add an old-fash-ioned touch to the holiday sea-son. You can bring natureindoors with cornstalks,pinecones, dried flowers andpumpkins. Trees can be deckedwith strings of popcorn and

cranberries as well as holi-day cookie cutters, ribbonsand bows. If you're willingto wait, bargains onChristmas trees can befound in the days leadingup to December 25th. Youmight also consider invest-ing in a high-quality artifi-cial tree, which can saveyou big bucks in the long

run.* Delicious deals. Some gro-

cery stores offer great dealsduring the holidays. Checkyour newspaper and store fliersfor deals on items you need.Use store brands when makingcasseroles and side dishes. Inthe spirit of sharing, a potluck-style holiday dinner could be atradition worth considering. Italso relieves the host of theentire burden of paying for andpreparing the meal.

* Simple pleasures. Holidayentertainment can be as simpleas a drive around town to seethe lights. And don't forget tobring along some blankets andhot chocolate for the ride. Pullout the board games youhaven't played in years. Learnthree new card games and twonew holiday songs. Bake anddecorate cookies. Make lastingmemories.

Page 4 - Christmas 2009

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Families often have theirown unique traditions when itcomes to the holidays. Lately,families have begun to includefilms in many of those tradi-tions. That'sthanks largely tothe array of clas-sic holiday filmsthat have consis-tently put peoplein the holidaymood. Familiesreuniting for theholidays thisyear have a hostof films fromwhich to chooseto enjoy a nightin and a bucketof popcorn.When heading tovisit family andfriends, considerbringing one ofthe following as a gift to makea memorable night with lovedones.

"National Lampoon'sChristmas Vacation" (1989) -Led by an all-star cast includ-ing Chevy Chase and BeverlyD'Angelo, the Griswold familyChristmas should be merry, butnaturally turns into a hilariousdisaster. Look for appearancesby "Seinfeld" veteran JuliaLouis-Dreyfus and legendarycomedienne Doris Roberts insupporting roles.

"A Christmas Story" (1983)- Growing up in 1940sAmerica, young Ralphie hashis heart set on a Red RiderBB gun for Christmas, but itseems like Mom, teacher andeven Santa are certain he'll"shoot his eye out" with such a

gift. Will Ralphie find hisheart's desire under the tree?Watch to find out.

"It's a Wonderful Life"(1946) - When distraught

George Baily(Jimmy Stewart)meets a compas-sionate angel, helearns what lifewould have beenlike if he'd neverexisted. Holidaymagic wins outin the end.

"Miracle on34th Street"(1947) - Anotherclassic that can'tbe missed! Whena man claimingto be Santa Clausis deemedinsane, a younglawyer and a

headstrong young girl come tohis rescue.

"A Christmas Carol"(1951) - Yet another moviethat has spawned a series ofmore recent remakes. This onestars Alastair Sim as Mr.Scrooge, a bitter, miserly manwho doesn't give a bah hum-bug about the holiday season.But will a haunting by threeghosts change his mind and illwill?

"A Charlie BrownChristmas" (1965) - CharlieBrown is depressed and can'tfind the Christmas spirit.When he is put in charge of theschool's holiday pageant andcomes in with a meagerChristmas tree, the schoolkidsultimately learn about the truemeaning of Christmas.

The postal system is a well-oiled machine that few peopleactually stop and consider.During the holiday season thereliability and swiftness of thepostal service is relied on forseveral weeks. Individuals puttheir cherished gifts and cardsinto the hands of willing indi-viduals who will make everyattempt to have those holidaytreats arrive promptly at theirdestinations around the world.

In the United States alone,20 billion cards, letters andpackages are to be deliveredbetween Thanksgiving andChristmas, says the UnitedStates Postal Service. Morethan 200,000 vehicles are dis-patched to transport that mail,and mail carriers are instru-mental in neighborhoods allover the country. Home pick-ups can also be scheduled ifyou can't make it to the nearestpost office to send your pack-age.

Postal workers and volun-teers make sure that the corre-spondence is received andanswered to bring smiles tomillions of children.

Apart from the abundance ofholiday greetings this time ofyear, the postal system must

also face an influx of othermail during the season. Storestend to send out more flyersadvertising sales, and maga-zines may be larger -- packedwith more tips, techniques andads.

The holidays mark a timewhen you should give an extrameasure of thanks to your mailcarrier for the hard work he orshe does throughout the year.It's also a time to show appre-ciation for the other people inyour community who provideexemplary service.

The United States PostalService media relations depart-ment confirms that postalemployees are not allowed toaccept monetary tips, but youcan show them a token of yourappreciation by offering asmall gift of a value of around$20. Think about something amail carrier would enjoy, suchas a gift certificate to a localstore, hand or foot warmers,cookies, movie tickets, etc.

Spread a little holiday joy tolocal postal workers, even ifit's a smile and a "thank you"for a job well done during thisbusy season.

Christmas 2009 - Page 5Page 12 - Christmas 2009

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Here’s your chance to share The Clermont Sun, the county’s favorite home-town newspaper, with a friend or relative at the rate of only $8.00 a year.You’ll save $18.00 off the regular newsstand price, AND the recipient willhave the convenience of having theirvery own copy of The Sun deliveredeach week in their mailbox.This offeris for subscriptions in Clermont,Brown and Hamilton Counties only.Not good for out of state. You cansign up for as many years as youwish. If you already subscribe, yourexpiration date will be extended.

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Film Classicsto Rev Up Holiday Spirit

Ralphie from the classic tale“A Christmas Story.”

One of the classic scenes from “It’s A Wonderful Life.”

Postal Workers:Unsung Holiday Heroes

Safety and security is animportant concern for manyhomeowners. Around the holi-days, it can be easy to overlookthose concerns due to theincreasingly busy schedulemany people have betweenThanksgiving and New Year'sDay.

Unfortunately, putting homesecurity on the backburner dur-ing the holiday season canprove to be a grievous error.Because extended vacations tovisit family and friends arecommon during the holidayseason, criminals often targetthis time of year thanks toempty homes they know willnot be the hub of activity theyusually are. To safeguard yourhome while you're out of townthis holiday season, it's best totake a few precautionary mea-sures to make a home lessappealing to prospective bur-glars and criminals.

* Ask a friend or neighbor topick up the mail. If your homedoesn't have a mail slot in thefront door, a telltale sign thatyou're away is an overstuffedmailbox. Before you leave,arrange to have your mail,newspapers and flyers pickedup by a neighbor or friend. Ifyou can, arrange to have news-paper delivery suspended forthe duration of your trip. If youcan't find someone to pick upyour mail, you can ask the localpost office to suspend deliverywhile you're out of town.

* Leave some lights on,including the Christmas lights.If your beautiful Christmaslights display glows in theweeks leading up to Christmasbut then suddenly disappearsonce the holiday arrives,thieves can probably determinethat your house is empty andtherefore a good target. Byleaving a kitchen light on insideyour house and keeping yourChristmas lights on a timer,you're at least giving theappearance that someone ishome, and a yard illuminatedthanks to your decorative lightsmakes it much more difficultfor potential thieves to creeparound your house under thecloak of darkness. Be sure to

string up some lights in thebackyard as well.

* Secure all windows. Alongwith making sure your win-dows are locked, hang thickcurtains or blinds in all win-dows. These make it difficultfor prospective burglars to seeinto a home and look for valu-ables as well as determine if thehouse appears lived in or not.And just as with sliding patiodoors, make sure any slidingwindows have similar anti-liftprotection.

* Give someone you trust aspare key to your home. Neverleave a spare key in the familiarplaces, such as under a doormator in the mailbox. Chances are,even the most incompetent bur-glar is skilled enough to lookunder the mat or in the mailbox.Instead, give a key to a neigh-bor you can trust or a familymember. Homeowners who justmoved into their new digsshould replace the keys andlocks immediately, since there'sno telling who might have hadaccess to your home before youlived there.

* Join or start a neighbor-hood watch. Many neighbor-hoods today feature a neighbor-hood watch program where anysuspicious activity can be mon-itored and reported to police byyour neighbors when you'rehome or away. Particularlywhen you're out of town, this isa great way to provide yourselfwith some peace of mind. Ifyou neighborhood doesn't havea watch program, ask the neigh-

bors if they would be interestedin one. If so, consult with thelocal police department for tipson making your neighborhoodwatch as successful as possible.

* Light all of the entrances.Keep each and every entrywaywell lit while you're away.Doing so makes it harder forprospective burglars to inspecta home and break in. This iseven more important for home-owners who do not decoratetheir homes with Christmaslights. Also, before leaving foran extended period of time,remember to replace all lightbulbs with fresh ones, assuringthat your lights will burnbrightly throughout the dura-tion of your vacation.

* Take good care of the lawn.A great place for a burglar tohide and go unnoticed is inbushes that are not welltrimmed. Take this option awayfrom him by making sure all ofbushes have been trimmedneatly so he doesn't have easyaccess to a hiding spot he canuse to scope out your house,even while you're home. It'salso wise to strategically plantsecurity bushes near any poten-tial points of entry for a burglar.Placing a rose bush, forinstance, near all ground floorwindows is a serious deterrentfor a potential burglar sincerose bushes, while beautifulwhen in bloom, are also loadedwith thorns.

* Put away patio furnitureand other backyard tools.Household items strewn about

the yard could facilitate a bur-glary. Ladders, chairs andboxes should be stored in alocked shed or garage, as a bur-glar can simply use the ladder

to climb up to a second storywindow. Also, simple gardentools can be used to break win-dows or shimmy open doors, solock those away as well.

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Christmas 2009 - Page 11

Few holiday traditions are asaesthetically appealing aslighting a house and Christmastree. Neighborhood passersbyoften delight in a well-lit holi-day home, and some neighbor-hoods even have contestsamong residents as to who cancreate the most festive holidaylighting display.

But as fun as stringing upand designing a holiday light-ing scheme can be, it can beequally dangerous aswell. Film fans arewell aware of ClarkGriswold's hystericalefforts to string upholiday lights in thecomedy classic"Christmas Vacation."But as oddball andover-the-top as thoseefforts were, they'vealso hit home formany who have hadaccidents stringing up holidaylights in years past.

Consider the fact thatChristmas trees account forroughly 200 fires annually --mostly from electrical lights oropen flames from candles --causing more than $6 millionin property damage, accordingto the U.S. Fire Administration.In addition, each year playswitness to thousands of visitsto local emergency roomsresulting from falls that happenwhen stringing up holidaylights.

But for every person whovisits the emergency room aftera fall, there are thousands morewho make it through the seasonsafe and sound. To do just that,consider the following holidaylighting safety tips, courtesy ofthe United States ConsumerProduct Safety Commission(CPSC).

* Check that outdoor lights -- and extension cords -- aredesigned for outdoor use, and

be sure to look for theUnderwriters Laboratory (UL)label on the lights. The labelindicates that the product hasbeen tested for safety hazards.

* Inspect lights for any dam-ages, such as frayed strings,exposed wires, loose connec-tions, or any broken or crackedsockets. Damaged sets are afire and safety hazard, soreplace any sets with any of theaforementioned problems.

* Minimize extension corduse, plugging lights directlyinto the electrical sockets

whenever possible. Check thefuse box to determine howmany amps your circuit canhandle safely.

* Routinely feel electricalcords around the house andunplug any that feel too warm.

* Turn off lights when youare away from home and whenyou're asleep. Even if only fora midday cat nap, unplug alllights just to be safe.

* Do not strand more thanthree light setstogether.

* Do not use elec-tric lights with ametallic tree. Touchalone can lead to adeadly electricalshock.

* Prevent winddamage to bulbs bysecurely attachingall outdoor lights tothe house, walls or

other firm objects..* Do not conceal cords under

floor mats or rugs. This canlead to trips and falls.

* When hanging lights,always emphasize safety andhave a helper on hand. The lad-der should be sitting level, andwhen hanging lights, stand cen-tered on the rails of the ladder.When placing the ladder, boththe Occupational Safety andHealth Administration and theCPSC recommend extending itat least three feet beyond theroofline. In addition, for everyfour feet the ladder extends up,space the base of the ladder onefoot away from the wall.

* Keep all lighting decora-tions out of reach of childrenand pets. Children may beintrigued by the lights and betempted to play with the wiresor the bulbs, while the familypet might chew or pull oncords.

* Be especially careful withcandles. Candles are an obvi-ous fire hazard, so avoid plac-ing them near trees, decora-tions and wrapping paper anddo not put them in a placewhere they can be knockeddown or blown over.

Page 6 - Christmas 2009

Brell & SonFuneral Home

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Be safe and soundwhen stringing holiday lights

Easy Ways to Keep a Home Safe While Away for the Holidays

THE HISTORY OF “FROSTY”Though it might seem as though it’s been around forever, thebeloved holiday song “Frosty the Snowman” actually wasn’tproduced until 1950. Written by Jack Rollins and Steve Nelson,the song was first recorded by legendary country singer JackAutry and the Cass County Boys. Once they finished penning thenow classic Christmas tune, Rollins and Nelson shipped thelyrics to Autry, who just a year earlier achieved great successwith another holiday favorite, “Rudolph the Red NosedReindeer.” While Autry’s version remained the most successful,and arguably most recognizable, version of“Frosty” for many years, its success interms of charting was actually outdone justa year ago. The peak position for Autry’soriginal version on the U.S. Pop Singleschart was #7 back in 1950. However, the2007 rendition by former American Idolparticipant Kimberly Locke reached #1 onthe Billboard U.S. Hot Adult Contemporarychart. The television adaptation of “Frostythe Snowman” remains a staple of the tele-vision schedule each holiday season.

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During the holiday season,47,000 fires claim more than500 lives across the UnitedStates. According to the U.S.

Fire Administration (USFA),fires are also responsible forover 2,200 injuries and cause$990 million in damage.

Unfortunately, many of thesefires are caused by the verythings that make the holidayseason special -- Christmastrees and other decorations.About one in every 20Christmas tree fires results in aloss of life. But by choosingdecorations wisely and takingbasic precautions to ensure thatthey are used properly, many ofthese fires can be prevented.

Selecting and caring for aholiday tree: When choosing atree, be sure it has been freshlycut and has not dried out. Thetrunk should feel sticky and theneedles should not break or bepulled off easily from branch-es. If a large number of needlesfall off a tree when it is"bounced" on the ground, thatindicates the tree has dried outand is a fire hazard. Once inyour home, set up the tree in asecure and stable stand, awayfrom heat sources such as fire-places or heating vents. Checkthe wiring on tree lights forwear and open sockets. If thereis any doubt about the condi-tion of your tree lights, replace

them with new "UL" approvedlights. Be sure the stand isalways full of water and thatlights aren't in contact with thestand or water. Avoid buying atree too early or leaving it uptoo long.

If you are purchasing orusing an artificial tree, be surethat it is flame-retardant.Metallic artificial trees shouldnever be decorated with stringsof lights because of the risk ofa short circuit and possibleshock hazard.

Maintain holiday lighting:All holiday lighting, extensioncords and other electrical deco-rations should be "UL"approved. If they are to be usedoutside, be sure to use onlythose designed for that purposeand keep all exterior wiring outof standing water. Inspectlighting for worn or brokenwires or sockets and replaceany missing bulbs. Do notoverload wall outlets or exten-sion cords or connect morethan three strings of lightstogether unless the directionsstate otherwise. In addition,

never leave holiday lighting onwhen leaving home or going tobed.

Avoiding other holiday firehazards

Here are some additional tipsto ensure a safe holiday season:

* Decorations should benon-flammable or flame-resis-tant and kept away from heat orignition sources.

* Do not burn wrappingpaper or tree branches in a fire-place.

* Never put candles in treesand other decorations or leaveburning candles unattended.

* Designate someone tomake sure that candles andlights are out when leaving thehouse or going to bed.

* Smoke alarms save lives!Make sure they have fresh bat-teries, are in good workingorder and that they are proper-ly located. Having a workingsmoke alarm reduces thechance of dying in a fire bynearly half.

For more information aboutusing smoke alarms, go towww.usfa.dhs.gov.

Christmas 2009 - Page 7Page 10 - Christmas 2009

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THE HISTORY OF“SANTA CLAUS”

Each year, shoppers are greeted by the sights of the holidayseason at area stores, including strung garland, lights andmasses of bright red poinsettia plants. However, it's anappearance by the man in red that really signifies the arrivalof Christmas. Department stores count on Santa Claus toattract customers to pose for pictures and shop the day away.History suggests the department store Santa made his debutin 1841, when J.W. Parkinson, a Philadelphia merchant,hired a man to dress up in a "Kris Kringle" outfit and climbthe chimney of his store. It wasn't until forty years later thata Boston merchant repeated the idea, hiring a Scottish immi-grant named Edgar, who happened to be tall and a littleround around the middle and who boasted a white beard, awarm voice and a hearty laugh.

A Fire Safe Home For The Holidays

After Christmas, when peo-ple are taking down theirornaments and packing themaway, Christmas trees maketheir way from living roomsto the garbage heap. In recentyears, people have realizedthe benefit to recycling thesespruces and firs into compostmaterial. But Christmas treesaren’t the only timber beingrecycled these days. Manytowns and cities are realizingthe potential for urban treerecycling at other times dur-ing the year.

Many municipalitiesremove hundreds of treesfrom public and private landeach year. Utility companies,construction personnel andothers also remove trees forvarious reasons. Some blockpower lines while others posesafety hazards. In most cases,these cut-down trees end upbeing sent to the landfill.Some logs are buried, ground

up or become a disposal prob-lem. But what if the felledtrees could be put to otheruses that are a bit more eco-nomically friendly and couldhelp those in need earn a prof-it?

That’s just what Hammond,Indiana’s Lake County SolidWaste Management DistrictExecutive Director JeffLangbehn was thinking whenhe approached a local sawmillto see if the downed treescould be put to another use. In1997, the city started a pro-gram called “Trees toFurniture.” Downed treeswere taken to the Hoosiersawmill, which used 70 per-cent of the material for com-pensation. The remaining thir-ty percent was turned into citystructures, such as picnictables, garden sheds and parkbenches. Not only did the citysave on disposal expenses, itsaved on purchasing materials

for replacement picnic tablesand other public area furnituresince the “garbage” trees werebeing recycled into theseitems.

The concept has sincespread beyond Indiana. Manyother states have adopted theirown similar tree recyclingprograms. Some are munici-pal-run programs. Others arespearheaded by business-savvy individuals who see away to profit on waste wood.

The organizationHarvesting Urban Timber(HUT) has a Web site thatconnects people looking formore information on recy-cling timber. Those withportable sawmills or peoplewith trees can collaborate tofind out how to turn wastewood into valuable lumber forbusiness or hobbyists. Formore information, visitwww.harvestingurbantimber.com.

Recycling trees could boost local economy

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Christmas 2009 - Page 9Page 8 - Christmas 2009

1041 B Old U.S. 52, New Richmond• Accepting HMO, Insurance Plans and Welfare

• We offer UPS Package Service• Complete Line of Greeting Cards • Photo Finishing

Visit our Old-Fashioned Soda Fountain

FRONT STREET GALLERY218 Front Street - New Richmond

Original Art • Prints • Pottery • JewelryPhotography and More

Join us on December 12 - 10am to 6pmLive Demos and Mini Classes

(513) 520-2103 • frontstgallery.com

QUALITY BODY REPAIR SINCE 1982

ALL MAKES & MODELS - FOREIGN & DOMESTIC• All Insurance Companies Accepted• Rental Cars Available• Towing Available

8:30 - 5:00 Mon-FriSat (by appointment only)

555555553333----2222333333331111404 Front St., New Richmond - Robert Moore (Owner)

dd CCaarroolleerrss oonn tthhee RRiivveerrFFrroonntt

dd SSaannttaa AArrrriivveess bbyy BBooaatt

dd OOuurr WWoorrlldd FFaammoouussRReeiinnDDoogg PPaarraaddee

dd CCrraafftteerrss GGaalloorree

dd AAnnttiiqquuee CCaarrrriiaaggee RRiiddeess

dd EEnnjjooyy llooccaall SShhooppss && RReessttaauurraannttss

Friday 5-9pm - December 11th1 5-9:00 Information Booth (Front St. Arch)4 5-9:00 Primitive Tee Pee Display (Haussermann Park)2 5:00 History Tour (Greg Roberts)4 6:00 Event Opens (Town Crier)4 6-9:00 NR High School Troubadours4 6-9:00 Shops and Businesses Open late5 6-9:00 FREE Hot Chocolate & Hot Dogs

Landing Restaurant Patio (401 Front St.)7 5-9:00 Student Art Show @ Frames of Mind & Trendy’s 6 6-9:00 Carriage Rides (Donations)24 6-9:00 Petting Zoo (Main & Front St.)3 6-9:00 Family Holiday Photos with Santa

@ Passages Books (126 Front St.)19 6-9:00 NR Girl Scouts Caroling10 6-9:00 Open House, Refreshments & Tours

Somewhere In Time B&B (100 Market St.)11 7:00 Tree Lighting Ceremony (Haussermann Park)

featuring our very own vocalist, John Hale (Front St.)12 7-9:00 Open House, Tours and Refreshments

Cranston Church (Union and Washington Streets)

Saturday 10am-6pm - December 12th1 10-5:00 Information Booth (Front St. Arch)4 10-5:00 Primitive Tee Pee Display (Haussermann Park)6 10-4:00 Carriage Rides & Hot Food (Historic Riverfront)7 10-5:00 Student Art Show @ Frames of Mind & Trendy’s4 10-4:00 Shuttle Bus (Donations - along entire route)15 10-4:00 Crafters Galore (311 Front St. & along Front St.)24 10-4:00 Petting Zoo (Main & Front St.)15 10-5:00 Cardboard Boat Museum Open House

Refreshments & Tours (311 Front Street)16 10-6:00 Open House - Train Display

Cottage Garden Greenhouse (108 Susanna Way)1 11:00 Santa Arrives by Boat at the Front St. Public Landing3 12-2:00 Pictures with Santa @ Passages Books (126 Front St.)19 12-3:00 Carolers

Presbyterian Church Choir directed by Pat HawkinsNR Girl Scouts Caroling - Strolling along Front St.

19 12:30 Faith United Church of Christ - Brass Quartet10 12-4:00 Open House, Refreshments & Tours

Somewhere In Time B&B (100 Market St.)20 12-5:00 Ross Gowdy House Museum - Bid/Buy Silent Auction

Open House & History Talks (125 George St.)12 1-4:00 Luncheon & Ice Cream Social

Cranston Church (Union and Washington Streets)19 2-3:00 NR Middle School Choir21 2-3:00 Registration for ReinDog/Pet Parade

Starts at Main & Front St. ($1.00 per pet)22 3-4:00 Annual ReinDog/Pet Parade

along Front St., Judging at RiverHills Bank Steps2 5:00 Walking History Tour of New Richmond (Gary Knepp)

Begins at the Ross Gowdy House (125 George St.)P OFF STREET EVENT PARKING

Friday, December 11 at 5:00 p.m.&

Saturday December 12 at 5:00 p.m.Meet Greg Roberts at the Ross-Gowdy House at 125George Street at 5:00 p.m. for an interesting andinformative walking tour of Historic NewRichmond. This is a fundraiser for Historic NewRichmond, Inc. Cost for the tour is $5.00 per per-son. Hot cider, hot chocolate, and light refresh-ments will be offered for sale prior to the walk.

HISTORIC NEW RICHMOND WALKS

For more information, call Cathy

513-207-3184www.newrichmond.org

December 11th & 12th

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EVENPAGES

Christmas 2009 - Page 9Page 8 - Christmas 2009

1041 B Old U.S. 52, New Richmond• Accepting HMO, Insurance Plans and Welfare

• We offer UPS Package Service• Complete Line of Greeting Cards • Photo Finishing

Visit our Old-Fashioned Soda Fountain

FRONT STREET GALLERY218 Front Street - New Richmond

Original Art • Prints • Pottery • JewelryPhotography and More

Join us on December 12 - 10am to 6pmLive Demos and Mini Classes

(513) 520-2103 • frontstgallery.com

QUALITY BODY REPAIR SINCE 1982

ALL MAKES & MODELS - FOREIGN & DOMESTIC• All Insurance Companies Accepted• Rental Cars Available• Towing Available

8:30 - 5:00 Mon-FriSat (by appointment only)

555555553333----2222333333331111404 Front St., New Richmond - Robert Moore (Owner)

dd CCaarroolleerrss oonn tthhee RRiivveerrFFrroonntt

dd SSaannttaa AArrrriivveess bbyy BBooaatt

dd OOuurr WWoorrlldd FFaammoouussRReeiinnDDoogg PPaarraaddee

dd CCrraafftteerrss GGaalloorree

dd AAnnttiiqquuee CCaarrrriiaaggee RRiiddeess

dd EEnnjjooyy llooccaall SShhooppss && RReessttaauurraannttss

Friday 5-9pm - December 11th1 5-9:00 Information Booth (Front St. Arch)4 5-9:00 Primitive Tee Pee Display (Haussermann Park)2 5:00 History Tour (Greg Roberts)4 6:00 Event Opens (Town Crier)4 6-9:00 NR High School Troubadours4 6-9:00 Shops and Businesses Open late5 6-9:00 FREE Hot Chocolate & Hot Dogs

Landing Restaurant Patio (401 Front St.)7 5-9:00 Student Art Show @ Frames of Mind & Trendy’s 6 6-9:00 Carriage Rides (Donations)24 6-9:00 Petting Zoo (Main & Front St.)3 6-9:00 Family Holiday Photos with Santa

@ Passages Books (126 Front St.)19 6-9:00 NR Girl Scouts Caroling10 6-9:00 Open House, Refreshments & Tours

Somewhere In Time B&B (100 Market St.)11 7:00 Tree Lighting Ceremony (Haussermann Park)

featuring our very own vocalist, John Hale (Front St.)12 7-9:00 Open House, Tours and Refreshments

Cranston Church (Union and Washington Streets)

Saturday 10am-6pm - December 12th1 10-5:00 Information Booth (Front St. Arch)4 10-5:00 Primitive Tee Pee Display (Haussermann Park)6 10-4:00 Carriage Rides & Hot Food (Historic Riverfront)7 10-5:00 Student Art Show @ Frames of Mind & Trendy’s4 10-4:00 Shuttle Bus (Donations - along entire route)15 10-4:00 Crafters Galore (311 Front St. & along Front St.)24 10-4:00 Petting Zoo (Main & Front St.)15 10-5:00 Cardboard Boat Museum Open House

Refreshments & Tours (311 Front Street)16 10-6:00 Open House - Train Display

Cottage Garden Greenhouse (108 Susanna Way)1 11:00 Santa Arrives by Boat at the Front St. Public Landing3 12-2:00 Pictures with Santa @ Passages Books (126 Front St.)19 12-3:00 Carolers

Presbyterian Church Choir directed by Pat HawkinsNR Girl Scouts Caroling - Strolling along Front St.

19 12:30 Faith United Church of Christ - Brass Quartet10 12-4:00 Open House, Refreshments & Tours

Somewhere In Time B&B (100 Market St.)20 12-5:00 Ross Gowdy House Museum - Bid/Buy Silent Auction

Open House & History Talks (125 George St.)12 1-4:00 Luncheon & Ice Cream Social

Cranston Church (Union and Washington Streets)19 2-3:00 NR Middle School Choir21 2-3:00 Registration for ReinDog/Pet Parade

Starts at Main & Front St. ($1.00 per pet)22 3-4:00 Annual ReinDog/Pet Parade

along Front St., Judging at RiverHills Bank Steps2 5:00 Walking History Tour of New Richmond (Gary Knepp)

Begins at the Ross Gowdy House (125 George St.)P OFF STREET EVENT PARKING

Friday, December 11 at 5:00 p.m.&

Saturday December 12 at 5:00 p.m.Meet Greg Roberts at the Ross-Gowdy House at 125George Street at 5:00 p.m. for an interesting andinformative walking tour of Historic NewRichmond. This is a fundraiser for Historic NewRichmond, Inc. Cost for the tour is $5.00 per per-son. Hot cider, hot chocolate, and light refresh-ments will be offered for sale prior to the walk.

HISTORIC NEW RICHMOND WALKS

For more information, call Cathy

513-207-3184www.newrichmond.org

December 11th & 12th

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During the holiday season,47,000 fires claim more than500 lives across the UnitedStates. According to the U.S.

Fire Administration (USFA),fires are also responsible forover 2,200 injuries and cause$990 million in damage.

Unfortunately, many of thesefires are caused by the verythings that make the holidayseason special -- Christmastrees and other decorations.About one in every 20Christmas tree fires results in aloss of life. But by choosingdecorations wisely and takingbasic precautions to ensure thatthey are used properly, many ofthese fires can be prevented.

Selecting and caring for aholiday tree: When choosing atree, be sure it has been freshlycut and has not dried out. Thetrunk should feel sticky and theneedles should not break or bepulled off easily from branch-es. If a large number of needlesfall off a tree when it is"bounced" on the ground, thatindicates the tree has dried outand is a fire hazard. Once inyour home, set up the tree in asecure and stable stand, awayfrom heat sources such as fire-places or heating vents. Checkthe wiring on tree lights forwear and open sockets. If thereis any doubt about the condi-tion of your tree lights, replace

them with new "UL" approvedlights. Be sure the stand isalways full of water and thatlights aren't in contact with thestand or water. Avoid buying atree too early or leaving it uptoo long.

If you are purchasing orusing an artificial tree, be surethat it is flame-retardant.Metallic artificial trees shouldnever be decorated with stringsof lights because of the risk ofa short circuit and possibleshock hazard.

Maintain holiday lighting:All holiday lighting, extensioncords and other electrical deco-rations should be "UL"approved. If they are to be usedoutside, be sure to use onlythose designed for that purposeand keep all exterior wiring outof standing water. Inspectlighting for worn or brokenwires or sockets and replaceany missing bulbs. Do notoverload wall outlets or exten-sion cords or connect morethan three strings of lightstogether unless the directionsstate otherwise. In addition,

never leave holiday lighting onwhen leaving home or going tobed.

Avoiding other holiday firehazards

Here are some additional tipsto ensure a safe holiday season:

* Decorations should benon-flammable or flame-resis-tant and kept away from heat orignition sources.

* Do not burn wrappingpaper or tree branches in a fire-place.

* Never put candles in treesand other decorations or leaveburning candles unattended.

* Designate someone tomake sure that candles andlights are out when leaving thehouse or going to bed.

* Smoke alarms save lives!Make sure they have fresh bat-teries, are in good workingorder and that they are proper-ly located. Having a workingsmoke alarm reduces thechance of dying in a fire bynearly half.

For more information aboutusing smoke alarms, go towww.usfa.dhs.gov.

Christmas 2009 - Page 7Page 10 - Christmas 2009

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THE HISTORY OF“SANTA CLAUS”

Each year, shoppers are greeted by the sights of the holidayseason at area stores, including strung garland, lights andmasses of bright red poinsettia plants. However, it's anappearance by the man in red that really signifies the arrivalof Christmas. Department stores count on Santa Claus toattract customers to pose for pictures and shop the day away.History suggests the department store Santa made his debutin 1841, when J.W. Parkinson, a Philadelphia merchant,hired a man to dress up in a "Kris Kringle" outfit and climbthe chimney of his store. It wasn't until forty years later thata Boston merchant repeated the idea, hiring a Scottish immi-grant named Edgar, who happened to be tall and a littleround around the middle and who boasted a white beard, awarm voice and a hearty laugh.

A Fire Safe Home For The Holidays

After Christmas, when peo-ple are taking down theirornaments and packing themaway, Christmas trees maketheir way from living roomsto the garbage heap. In recentyears, people have realizedthe benefit to recycling thesespruces and firs into compostmaterial. But Christmas treesaren’t the only timber beingrecycled these days. Manytowns and cities are realizingthe potential for urban treerecycling at other times dur-ing the year.

Many municipalitiesremove hundreds of treesfrom public and private landeach year. Utility companies,construction personnel andothers also remove trees forvarious reasons. Some blockpower lines while others posesafety hazards. In most cases,these cut-down trees end upbeing sent to the landfill.Some logs are buried, ground

up or become a disposal prob-lem. But what if the felledtrees could be put to otheruses that are a bit more eco-nomically friendly and couldhelp those in need earn a prof-it?

That’s just what Hammond,Indiana’s Lake County SolidWaste Management DistrictExecutive Director JeffLangbehn was thinking whenhe approached a local sawmillto see if the downed treescould be put to another use. In1997, the city started a pro-gram called “Trees toFurniture.” Downed treeswere taken to the Hoosiersawmill, which used 70 per-cent of the material for com-pensation. The remaining thir-ty percent was turned into citystructures, such as picnictables, garden sheds and parkbenches. Not only did the citysave on disposal expenses, itsaved on purchasing materials

for replacement picnic tablesand other public area furnituresince the “garbage” trees werebeing recycled into theseitems.

The concept has sincespread beyond Indiana. Manyother states have adopted theirown similar tree recyclingprograms. Some are munici-pal-run programs. Others arespearheaded by business-savvy individuals who see away to profit on waste wood.

The organizationHarvesting Urban Timber(HUT) has a Web site thatconnects people looking formore information on recy-cling timber. Those withportable sawmills or peoplewith trees can collaborate tofind out how to turn wastewood into valuable lumber forbusiness or hobbyists. Formore information, visitwww.harvestingurbantimber.com.

Recycling trees could boost local economy

Safety and security is animportant concern for manyhomeowners. Around the holi-days, it can be easy to overlookthose concerns due to theincreasingly busy schedulemany people have betweenThanksgiving and New Year'sDay.

Unfortunately, putting homesecurity on the backburner dur-ing the holiday season canprove to be a grievous error.Because extended vacations tovisit family and friends arecommon during the holidayseason, criminals often targetthis time of year thanks toempty homes they know willnot be the hub of activity theyusually are. To safeguard yourhome while you're out of townthis holiday season, it's best totake a few precautionary mea-sures to make a home lessappealing to prospective bur-glars and criminals.

* Ask a friend or neighbor topick up the mail. If your homedoesn't have a mail slot in thefront door, a telltale sign thatyou're away is an overstuffedmailbox. Before you leave,arrange to have your mail,newspapers and flyers pickedup by a neighbor or friend. Ifyou can, arrange to have news-paper delivery suspended forthe duration of your trip. If youcan't find someone to pick upyour mail, you can ask the localpost office to suspend deliverywhile you're out of town.

* Leave some lights on,including the Christmas lights.If your beautiful Christmaslights display glows in theweeks leading up to Christmasbut then suddenly disappearsonce the holiday arrives,thieves can probably determinethat your house is empty andtherefore a good target. Byleaving a kitchen light on insideyour house and keeping yourChristmas lights on a timer,you're at least giving theappearance that someone ishome, and a yard illuminatedthanks to your decorative lightsmakes it much more difficultfor potential thieves to creeparound your house under thecloak of darkness. Be sure to

string up some lights in thebackyard as well.

* Secure all windows. Alongwith making sure your win-dows are locked, hang thickcurtains or blinds in all win-dows. These make it difficultfor prospective burglars to seeinto a home and look for valu-ables as well as determine if thehouse appears lived in or not.And just as with sliding patiodoors, make sure any slidingwindows have similar anti-liftprotection.

* Give someone you trust aspare key to your home. Neverleave a spare key in the familiarplaces, such as under a doormator in the mailbox. Chances are,even the most incompetent bur-glar is skilled enough to lookunder the mat or in the mailbox.Instead, give a key to a neigh-bor you can trust or a familymember. Homeowners who justmoved into their new digsshould replace the keys andlocks immediately, since there'sno telling who might have hadaccess to your home before youlived there.

* Join or start a neighbor-hood watch. Many neighbor-hoods today feature a neighbor-hood watch program where anysuspicious activity can be mon-itored and reported to police byyour neighbors when you'rehome or away. Particularlywhen you're out of town, this isa great way to provide yourselfwith some peace of mind. Ifyou neighborhood doesn't havea watch program, ask the neigh-

bors if they would be interestedin one. If so, consult with thelocal police department for tipson making your neighborhoodwatch as successful as possible.

* Light all of the entrances.Keep each and every entrywaywell lit while you're away.Doing so makes it harder forprospective burglars to inspecta home and break in. This iseven more important for home-owners who do not decoratetheir homes with Christmaslights. Also, before leaving foran extended period of time,remember to replace all lightbulbs with fresh ones, assuringthat your lights will burnbrightly throughout the dura-tion of your vacation.

* Take good care of the lawn.A great place for a burglar tohide and go unnoticed is inbushes that are not welltrimmed. Take this option awayfrom him by making sure all ofbushes have been trimmedneatly so he doesn't have easyaccess to a hiding spot he canuse to scope out your house,even while you're home. It'salso wise to strategically plantsecurity bushes near any poten-tial points of entry for a burglar.Placing a rose bush, forinstance, near all ground floorwindows is a serious deterrentfor a potential burglar sincerose bushes, while beautifulwhen in bloom, are also loadedwith thorns.

* Put away patio furnitureand other backyard tools.Household items strewn about

the yard could facilitate a bur-glary. Ladders, chairs andboxes should be stored in alocked shed or garage, as a bur-glar can simply use the ladder

to climb up to a second storywindow. Also, simple gardentools can be used to break win-dows or shimmy open doors, solock those away as well.

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Christmas 2009 - Page 11

Few holiday traditions are asaesthetically appealing aslighting a house and Christmastree. Neighborhood passersbyoften delight in a well-lit holi-day home, and some neighbor-hoods even have contestsamong residents as to who cancreate the most festive holidaylighting display.

But as fun as stringing upand designing a holiday light-ing scheme can be, it can beequally dangerous aswell. Film fans arewell aware of ClarkGriswold's hystericalefforts to string upholiday lights in thecomedy classic"Christmas Vacation."But as oddball andover-the-top as thoseefforts were, they'vealso hit home formany who have hadaccidents stringing up holidaylights in years past.

Consider the fact thatChristmas trees account forroughly 200 fires annually --mostly from electrical lights oropen flames from candles --causing more than $6 millionin property damage, accordingto the U.S. Fire Administration.In addition, each year playswitness to thousands of visitsto local emergency roomsresulting from falls that happenwhen stringing up holidaylights.

But for every person whovisits the emergency room aftera fall, there are thousands morewho make it through the seasonsafe and sound. To do just that,consider the following holidaylighting safety tips, courtesy ofthe United States ConsumerProduct Safety Commission(CPSC).

* Check that outdoor lights -- and extension cords -- aredesigned for outdoor use, and

be sure to look for theUnderwriters Laboratory (UL)label on the lights. The labelindicates that the product hasbeen tested for safety hazards.

* Inspect lights for any dam-ages, such as frayed strings,exposed wires, loose connec-tions, or any broken or crackedsockets. Damaged sets are afire and safety hazard, soreplace any sets with any of theaforementioned problems.

* Minimize extension corduse, plugging lights directlyinto the electrical sockets

whenever possible. Check thefuse box to determine howmany amps your circuit canhandle safely.

* Routinely feel electricalcords around the house andunplug any that feel too warm.

* Turn off lights when youare away from home and whenyou're asleep. Even if only fora midday cat nap, unplug alllights just to be safe.

* Do not strand more thanthree light setstogether.

* Do not use elec-tric lights with ametallic tree. Touchalone can lead to adeadly electricalshock.

* Prevent winddamage to bulbs bysecurely attachingall outdoor lights tothe house, walls or

other firm objects..* Do not conceal cords under

floor mats or rugs. This canlead to trips and falls.

* When hanging lights,always emphasize safety andhave a helper on hand. The lad-der should be sitting level, andwhen hanging lights, stand cen-tered on the rails of the ladder.When placing the ladder, boththe Occupational Safety andHealth Administration and theCPSC recommend extending itat least three feet beyond theroofline. In addition, for everyfour feet the ladder extends up,space the base of the ladder onefoot away from the wall.

* Keep all lighting decora-tions out of reach of childrenand pets. Children may beintrigued by the lights and betempted to play with the wiresor the bulbs, while the familypet might chew or pull oncords.

* Be especially careful withcandles. Candles are an obvi-ous fire hazard, so avoid plac-ing them near trees, decora-tions and wrapping paper anddo not put them in a placewhere they can be knockeddown or blown over.

Page 6 - Christmas 2009

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THE HISTORY OF “FROSTY”Though it might seem as though it’s been around forever, thebeloved holiday song “Frosty the Snowman” actually wasn’tproduced until 1950. Written by Jack Rollins and Steve Nelson,the song was first recorded by legendary country singer JackAutry and the Cass County Boys. Once they finished penning thenow classic Christmas tune, Rollins and Nelson shipped thelyrics to Autry, who just a year earlier achieved great successwith another holiday favorite, “Rudolph the Red NosedReindeer.” While Autry’s version remained the most successful,and arguably most recognizable, version of“Frosty” for many years, its success interms of charting was actually outdone justa year ago. The peak position for Autry’soriginal version on the U.S. Pop Singleschart was #7 back in 1950. However, the2007 rendition by former American Idolparticipant Kimberly Locke reached #1 onthe Billboard U.S. Hot Adult Contemporarychart. The television adaptation of “Frostythe Snowman” remains a staple of the tele-vision schedule each holiday season.

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Families often have theirown unique traditions when itcomes to the holidays. Lately,families have begun to includefilms in many of those tradi-tions. That'sthanks largely tothe array of clas-sic holiday filmsthat have consis-tently put peoplein the holidaymood. Familiesreuniting for theholidays thisyear have a hostof films fromwhich to chooseto enjoy a nightin and a bucketof popcorn.When heading tovisit family andfriends, considerbringing one ofthe following as a gift to makea memorable night with lovedones.

"National Lampoon'sChristmas Vacation" (1989) -Led by an all-star cast includ-ing Chevy Chase and BeverlyD'Angelo, the Griswold familyChristmas should be merry, butnaturally turns into a hilariousdisaster. Look for appearancesby "Seinfeld" veteran JuliaLouis-Dreyfus and legendarycomedienne Doris Roberts insupporting roles.

"A Christmas Story" (1983)- Growing up in 1940sAmerica, young Ralphie hashis heart set on a Red RiderBB gun for Christmas, but itseems like Mom, teacher andeven Santa are certain he'll"shoot his eye out" with such a

gift. Will Ralphie find hisheart's desire under the tree?Watch to find out.

"It's a Wonderful Life"(1946) - When distraught

George Baily(Jimmy Stewart)meets a compas-sionate angel, helearns what lifewould have beenlike if he'd neverexisted. Holidaymagic wins outin the end.

"Miracle on34th Street"(1947) - Anotherclassic that can'tbe missed! Whena man claimingto be Santa Clausis deemedinsane, a younglawyer and a

headstrong young girl come tohis rescue.

"A Christmas Carol"(1951) - Yet another moviethat has spawned a series ofmore recent remakes. This onestars Alastair Sim as Mr.Scrooge, a bitter, miserly manwho doesn't give a bah hum-bug about the holiday season.But will a haunting by threeghosts change his mind and illwill?

"A Charlie BrownChristmas" (1965) - CharlieBrown is depressed and can'tfind the Christmas spirit.When he is put in charge of theschool's holiday pageant andcomes in with a meagerChristmas tree, the schoolkidsultimately learn about the truemeaning of Christmas.

The postal system is a well-oiled machine that few peopleactually stop and consider.During the holiday season thereliability and swiftness of thepostal service is relied on forseveral weeks. Individuals puttheir cherished gifts and cardsinto the hands of willing indi-viduals who will make everyattempt to have those holidaytreats arrive promptly at theirdestinations around the world.

In the United States alone,20 billion cards, letters andpackages are to be deliveredbetween Thanksgiving andChristmas, says the UnitedStates Postal Service. Morethan 200,000 vehicles are dis-patched to transport that mail,and mail carriers are instru-mental in neighborhoods allover the country. Home pick-ups can also be scheduled ifyou can't make it to the nearestpost office to send your pack-age.

Postal workers and volun-teers make sure that the corre-spondence is received andanswered to bring smiles tomillions of children.

Apart from the abundance ofholiday greetings this time ofyear, the postal system must

also face an influx of othermail during the season. Storestend to send out more flyersadvertising sales, and maga-zines may be larger -- packedwith more tips, techniques andads.

The holidays mark a timewhen you should give an extrameasure of thanks to your mailcarrier for the hard work he orshe does throughout the year.It's also a time to show appre-ciation for the other people inyour community who provideexemplary service.

The United States PostalService media relations depart-ment confirms that postalemployees are not allowed toaccept monetary tips, but youcan show them a token of yourappreciation by offering asmall gift of a value of around$20. Think about something amail carrier would enjoy, suchas a gift certificate to a localstore, hand or foot warmers,cookies, movie tickets, etc.

Spread a little holiday joy tolocal postal workers, even ifit's a smile and a "thank you"for a job well done during thisbusy season.

Christmas 2009 - Page 5Page 12 - Christmas 2009

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From Christmas stockingsand mistletoe to smiling Santasand burning yule logs, thesymbols of the season are sopowerful that people seldomstop to think about their ori-gins. But one of the most com-mon symbols of Christmas --atleast in the United States andCanada -- is the twinklingChristmas tree, which is oftendepicted with piles of shinygifts under its bottom branch-es.

While most of us take thesekinds of holiday images forgranted, many of us aren't surewhere the traditions started orhow they became associatedwith Christmas. Whetheryou've always wondered aboutthe origins of the Christmastree or are simply in need ofsome seasonal small talk forthis year's holiday parties, thefollowing should add someinsight into the origins of thispopular holiday tradition.

A Growing TraditionIn the U.S. and Canada, the

Christmas tree has become oneof the foremost symbols of theholiday season. But the originof the beloved holiday ever-green has been debated forcenturies, with some historiansasserting that it has Christianroots and others contendingthat its roots are pagan.However, many explanationstrace the custom of having adecorated evergreen tree insidethe home to 16th centuryGermany, while others go back300 years earlier to a traditionthat began with the MiraclePlays sponsored by localchurches.

While its specific origin isunclear, we do know that theChristmas tree tradition spreadfirst across Europe and thenthroughout the world. In theU.S., Christmas trees werefirst seen in communities withprominent German populationsin the late 18th and early 19thcentury. Two communities inparticular -- Windsor Locks,Connecticut and Easton,Pennsylvania -- lay claim to

being the "birthplace" of theAmerican Christmas tree tradi-tion.

Throughout the world,Christmas trees are a symbolof the continuation of lifethrough the dark, cold monthsof winter and are linked bothto the winter solstice and thebelief that the birth of Jesus

brought light into the world. Inmany parts of the world,Christmas trees have long beenset up and taken down accord-ing to the calendar.Traditionally, they werebrought into the house onChristmas Eve and removedthe day after Twelfth Night(January 6th), and varyingfrom these dates was consid-ered bad luck.

Red + Green = ChristmasWhile the colors green and

red are now synonymous withChristmas, the association ofthese colors with the holidayoriginally had nothing to dowith Santa, elves or evenmistletoe. Like so much holi-day lore, the origins of the red-

and-green Christmas themehave long been debated, butthe explanation that appears tobe most deeply rooted in factbegins in 14th century Europe,when Adam and Eve's Day wascelebrated each year onDecember 24th. At that time,churches presented dramaticperformances --called MiraclePlays -- that were intended toteach religious topics to alargely illiterate population.For Adam and Eve's Day, peo-ple gathered to watch the"Paradise Play," which pre-sented the story of Adam andEve in the Garden of Eden.Since no apple trees wereavailable in the middle of win-ter to represent the Tree ofGood and Evil on stage, a pinetree with apples tied to itsbranches was used instead.

The use of a "makeshift"apple tree worked so well thatmany churches adopted its use.The "Paradise Tree" eventuallybecame so popular in Germanythat people started to erectevergreen trees in their homesand decorate them with redapples. Over time, the green ofthe trees and the red of theapples became widely associ-ated with the celebration ofChristmas.

Light Up the HolidayBefore the invention of the

light bulb, families in manyparts of the world broughtlight into their homes duringthe cold holiday season byplacing candles in theirChristmas trees. While thiscustom was extremely danger-ous and caused many fires, itwasn't until the early 20th cen-tury that most people hadaccess to electric Christmastree lights. Edward H.Johnson, a friend and businesspartner of Thomas Edison, wasthe first to string togetherlights for the purpose of deco-rating a Christmas tree in1882. However, Christmaslight kits were not availableuntil 1903 and, until then, onlyvery wealthy families couldafford to light up their trees.

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Christmas 2009 - Page 13

The holidays are a time forfamily and friends to gather andshare the joys of the season.While many families are facedwith the need to scale backtheir holiday celebrations andexpectations, it's good to knowthat memorable holidayscan be both frugal and fes-tive. By doing a little extraplanning and reclaimingsome of the traditions ofsimpler times, it's possibleto discover that less reallycan be more. Make yourholiday season both merryand memorable with thefollowing money-savingtips:

* Make a plan. Create a planfor holiday spending and giftgiving. List possible gifts, howmuch you expect to pay, whatyou can afford to pay, and alter-natives. Once you determinehow much you can afford tospend on each gift, stick to yourplan. Always look for sales andpay in cash or with debit cardswhenever possible. Compareprices online. Check the ship-ping charges. For kids, considerbuying one nice gift rather than

a lot of smaller ones.* Timing is everything.

While the best deals on greet-ing cards can be found after theholidays, some do go on sale inDecember. It's also worthremembering that postcards are

less expensive and also costless to mail. And if you'rehandy with scissors, you cantransform last year's greetingcards into this year's festiveholiday postcards. In addition,it pays to mail packages early.The longer you wait, the moreit will cost to make sure thatyour gifts arrive on time.

* It's a wrap. Wrappingpaper, like most other seasonalitems, is deeply discountedafter the holidays. If you didn'tcatch last year's after-Christmas sales, consider usingthe comics from your localnewspaper as wrapping paper.A roll of white butcher paperand assorted sizes of paper bagscan be transformed into worksof art that double as gift pack-aging. And last year's holidaycards can be cut into wonderfulgift tags.

* Nurture nature.Homemade decorations and

ornaments add an old-fash-ioned touch to the holiday sea-son. You can bring natureindoors with cornstalks,pinecones, dried flowers andpumpkins. Trees can be deckedwith strings of popcorn and

cranberries as well as holi-day cookie cutters, ribbonsand bows. If you're willingto wait, bargains onChristmas trees can befound in the days leadingup to December 25th. Youmight also consider invest-ing in a high-quality artifi-cial tree, which can saveyou big bucks in the long

run.* Delicious deals. Some gro-

cery stores offer great dealsduring the holidays. Checkyour newspaper and store fliersfor deals on items you need.Use store brands when makingcasseroles and side dishes. Inthe spirit of sharing, a potluck-style holiday dinner could be atradition worth considering. Italso relieves the host of theentire burden of paying for andpreparing the meal.

* Simple pleasures. Holidayentertainment can be as simpleas a drive around town to seethe lights. And don't forget tobring along some blankets andhot chocolate for the ride. Pullout the board games youhaven't played in years. Learnthree new card games and twonew holiday songs. Bake anddecorate cookies. Make lastingmemories.

Page 4 - Christmas 2009

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MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Money-Saving Tips for Memorable Holidays Unearthing the originsof the Christmas tree

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from PETCOA house decorated for Christmas

can present some hazards for pets,primarily because they will be curi-ous about all the new items hang-ing around the house. PETCOAnimal Supplies, Inc. offers thesetips to ensure that your pets have ahealthy and happy holiday:

o Christmas Trees: Pine nee-dles can get lodged in an animal'sesophagus, making it painfullyprickly for your pet to swallow.Drinking the water from theChristmas tree base is enough tocause diarrhea, mouth sores, vom-iting and loss of appetite.

o Deck the Halls: A bunch ofmistletoe may tempt a festive kiss,but eating this holiday greenery

could cause a drop in blood pres-sure, as well as vomiting andswollen throat and mouth tissue.Other holiday foliage, includingHolly and Poinsettias, contain tox-ins that could lead to severe stom-ach problems, as well as skin,mouth and eye irritation. Worseyet, Yew is extremely toxic, andone mouthful could be deadly.

o Tinsel and Lights: A flicker-ing flame and shiny decorationsintrigue companion animals. Whenlighting the menorah, adventwreath or decorative candles, keeppets in another room where pawsand claws can't reach them. Withelectrical lights, remember to tapeexposed electrical cords to walls orfloors to ensure no chewing or trip-

ping. Tinsel and wrapping papermay look like fun toys, but theycan cause choking, upset stomachor more serious problems.

o Visions of Sugar Plums:PETCO knows that cookies andcandies are as much about holidaytradition as a snowy street scene;however, some of them can be dan-gerous to your pets. For example,chocolate contains a chemicalknown as theobromine, which canbe highly toxic to your four-leggedfriends.

o Antifreeze Alert: The onset ofwinter often means new antifreezefor the family car, which is a sub-stance that can be especially harm-ful to the family pet. Antifreezecontains ethylene glycol, which

causes rapid and permanent kidneydamage to your companion animalif ingested in even small amounts.

Finally, the best present you can

give to your pets this holiday sea-son is good health and some extraloving attention.

Batavia Electric Supply iscelebrating 42 years in busi-ness.

The business, located at 300W. Main Street in Batavia, isowned by Steve and ShirleyHandra.

Since 1967, Batavia ElectricSupply has been the place to gofor electric supplies, light fix-tures, paddle fans, and many

other items.The family-owned, customer-

driven business serves a widerange of markets, from electri-cal and specialty contractors, toresidential, commercial, andindustrial customers and ‘do-it-yourselfers.’

Batavia Electrical Supplysells only quality products,such as Cutler Hammer, Pass

and Seymour.In 2006, new lines were

added, including GE Lamps,Broan fans, and Murray Feisslights.

With a combined 120 yearsof experience in the business,service is number one atBatavia Electric Supply.

For more information, call(513) 732-0484.

Christmas 2009 - Page 3Page 14 - Christmas 2009

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It's that season for makingparty rounds and opening uphomes to friends and family.Maybe it's your turn to play hostor hostess and you're not surewhere to start or how to set yourparty apart from the others.More importantly, you want toensure guests have a good time.Here are a few ideas how.

Play games: Scour the gameaisle of your favorite store forboard or action games thatwould work well in large groups.Or, modify baby or bridal show-er games to fit a holiday theme.Door prize games, or "Pin theRed Nose on Rudolph" are sillyideas that can add up to fun,especially when the cocktails areflowing.

Create the mood with lightsand music: Christmas and NewYear's are celebrated in mostareas during the darkest days ofwinter. So shed light on your fes-tivities with plenty of twinkling

lights and votive candles. Createa holiday playlist on your MP3player and make sure the tunescontinue all night long.

Involve guests in decorating:Short on time? Gather up sup-plies for decorating and adver-tise that you're having a tree-trimming or house-trimmingparty on your invitations. Allowguests to get crafty and beinvolved in dressing up yourhome.

Don't fret about food: Youdon't have to be a gourmet chefto host a winning party. If foodisn't your forte, don't worryabout catering the event or look-ing to pre-packaged appetizersand snacks. As guests mingleand hop from party to party,they're not going to be lookingfor an elaborate sit-down dinner.Fresh veggies and dips, bite-sized finger foods and the likeare standard party fare. If youwant to get creative, take any of

your favorite foods and justmake them in miniature. Tinyburgers, bite-sized pizzas, andeven small peanut butter andjelly sandwiches can delight.

Cocktail savvy: Stock the barwith the old standards for varietyand come up with one signaturedrink you can make in bulk.Why not try a frosty punch andgive it a theme-inspired name,such as "Winter Wonderland"?Be sure to have plenty of non-alcoholic drinks on hand forthose designated drivers.

Dessert bar: Top off theevening with a dessert bar whereguests can create and garnishtheir own desserts. Set out icecream and fixings, a fondue potwith skewers of fruit, differentpies with nuts and whippedcream, or any other combinationyou can think of.

Try out a couple of these tipsfor a memorable evening thatdoesn't take much planning.

Holiday entertaining - dial up the fun factor

Keeping your pets safe this Christmas Season

SunQuest Hair Designs is a fullservice salon and tanning centerthat caters to the entire family andhas been serving the BrownCounty area for 20 years.

“SunQuest has a family-friendly,clean and professional atmospherethat clients enjoy,” said AngelaIsner, of Sardinia, who started thebusiness when her two sons, Ericand Michael, were children. “Ithoroughly enjoy operatingSunQuest and want to thank arearesidents for their business.”

The SunQuest staff makes it apriority to know their clientele.They focus on meeting the needs ofthe client by really taking the timeto listen and to create a specific andindividual style for each client.

Another priority to the staff iskeeping up to date on the latesttrends and techniques in both hair

styles and hair care. They each con-sider their continuing education anecessity to maintain the highestlevel of professionalism and cus-tomer satisfaction. All staff mem-bers have managing cosmetologylicenses.

SunQuest staff can provide thedesired results, including, a trendycut, a specialty perm, addingdimensional highlights or addingcolor to eliminate the gray.

The tanning center at SunQuestis perfect for both the beginningand experienced tanner and foranyone in between. SunQuest car-ries a full line of tanning productsto meet the individual needs of awide range of tanning clients.

SunQuest also offers full mani-cure and pedicure services andincludes a spa pedicure chair forthe client to relax and be pampered.

SunQuest is located at 7588Staten Road, on the corner of Tri-County Highway and Staten Roadin Sardinia.

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The SunQuest Hair Designs team is ready to meet your hair style and haircare needs. Pictured top left to right, Kris - Amanda - Tifanie - bottom leftto right, Arrington - Angela - Rosa - Bailey (not pictured) Allie

Merry Christmas from everyone at SunQuest Hair Design!

If the best gifts come fromthe heart, certainly the next-best gifts come from thekitchen. Culinary treats can beperfect presents for your foodiefriends or just about anyone onyour list. Food gifts are espe-cially perfect for friends, neigh-bors, teachers, and others forwhom more elaborate gifts areneither expected nor required.What's more, the possibilitiesare endless and can be adjust-ed for varying palates, aller-gies and preferences. Here areseveral suggestions for servingup delicious holiday gifts thisseason.

SUGARJust about everyone looks

forward to seasonal sweets,from Christmas cookies tojelly doughnuts for Chanukahto benne cakes or sweet potatopie for the final feast ofKwanzaa.

Rethink your cookies.:When it comes to culinarydelights, there's nothing wrongwith sticking to the basics. Butif you want to put a twist ontradition, consider some alter-natives to the holiday cookiesampler, such as decoratinggreeting-card-sized cookieswith personalized messages,filling decorative jars with allof the dry ingredients neededfor your favorite cookie recipeor giving the gift of dough --three different kinds of cookiedough rolled into logs, wrappedin wax paper and tied at theends with festive ribbons.

Take a dip.: Dipping store-bought confections such as pep-permint sticks, candy canes,candied orange peel, shortbreadcookies, or even fresh figs ingood-quality chocolate (a mixof dark, milk and white choco-late is even better!) will trans-form these everyday items intoholiday-worthy gifts.

Think drinks.: Nothing takesthe chill out of a coldDecember morning like hotchocolate -- especially whenit's homemade. Make your ownmix with ground chocolate andsugar or package a high-qualitystore brand in a festively deco-rated jar, then add some pepper-

mint sticks, chocolate-coatedspoons or homemade marsh-mallows to the mix.

Have a jam session.:Handmade jams, preserves andfruit compotes are alwaysappreciated. Your creation canbe accompanied by the recipe,some scones or great toasting

bread, or even a decorativeserving jam jar.

Bark that's as good as itsbite.: Chocolate bark is a deli-cious no-bake gift that's so easyto make you'll wonder whyyou've waited so long to try it.Recipes are everywhere andyou can customize the barkwith your recipients' favoritenuts, dried fruits and other tastytidbits

AND SPICEFor people who love to cook,

great ingredients make exquis-ite gifts. Think about givingyour favorite foodie the gift offlavor in the form of spices,either from the bulk aisle atyour favorite upscale grocerychain or a well-loved specialtyretailer. Since spices don't stayfresh forever, your culinaryconnoisseur is sure to appreci-ate a new assortment. For themore adventurous cooks onyour list, consider purchasing afew special spices, such as saf-fron or vanilla -- either the bean

or a high-quality extract. Spicescan be purchased in smallamounts and then presented indecorative airtight jars withhandwritten labels. Otheroptions include making andgiving your own spice blendsand purchasing whole spices,such as nutmeg or allspice, andpresenting them along with theappropriate tool for grindingor grating them.

AND EVERYTHINGNICE

Themed baskets of food willgenerate big smiles fromeveryone on your holiday list.Putting together an assortmentof items for a particular mealor kind of cooking is as muchfun for the giver as it is for thereceiver. Here are some ideasthat are both simple and spe-cial.

Breakfast basket.: Fill abasket with homemade pan-cake and waffle mix and a bot-tle of real maple syrup, or gocontinental with a batch offreshly baked scones and a jarof lemon curd. For the caffeinelover, two mugs, one filledwith a favorite gourmet coffeeor tea and the other packed

with some homemade pastriesor a jar of jam.

Pasta basket.: The center-piece of this gift could be a jarof your famous spaghetti sauce,which is surrounded by a pack-age of fresh pasta, a bulb ofgarlic and a wedge of Parmesancheese.

Pizza basket.: Start with apackage of homemade pizzadough, add a jar of pizza sauceor pesto made from the basil inyour garden, then decorate thebasket with a merry mix ofcheeses and popular pizza add-ons, such as pepperoni, olives,olive oil, garlic, mushrooms,sundried tomatoes, and smallpackets of spices, such asoregano or red pepper flakes.

To ensure that your giftsdon't go to waste, be sure to addinstructions for storing andhandling the food -- especiallythose items that need to berefrigerated.

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Christmas 2009 - Page 15

As long as Christmas treeshave been a part of the holidayseason, so, too, has been thedebate over real or man-madetrees. Each side has its support-ers and detractors, and both havereal and man-made Christmastrees have their pros and cons.

When deciding whether or notto go to the nearby tree farm orthe department store for yourholiday tree this season, consid-er the following factors.

What Will a Natural TreeCost?: Natural trees can vary inprice depending on where yougo. Prices can range from lessthan $20 to more than $50.When making the decision, it'simportant to keep in mind that atree does not last very long, andtherefore investing too muchmoney might not be the bestway to spend your money.However, there are options topurchase real trees with the rootball intact, which enables home-owners to plant the tree in theiryard after the season.

What Will an Artificial TreeCost?: Artificial trees will ini-

tially have a higher price tagthan their natural counterparts.However, they are also morecost-effective because they canbe used for several years aftertheir initial purchases. There isalso no need to purchase acces-sories such as tree stands and

watering devices with an artifi-cial tree, which are typicallynecessary with a natural tree.

How Easily Can a NaturalTree Be Moved?: The Christmastree lot or farm does take stepsto make it easier to lift and movethe tree, but there's still the chal-lenge of getting it home. Many,whether driving a car or SUV,choose to put the tree on the roofof their vehicle, but then worryabout the tree blowing off on thehighway. Then's there the issueof getting the tree through thedoorway, an especially difficulttask for homeowners with olderhomes, where doorways areoften much smaller compared tonewer homes. Bring the tree intothe home can also leave trails ofpine needles from the car tohouse. That's a problem that canstill be around throughout theyear, as those pesky pine needlescan be difficult to banish.

How Easily Can an ArtificialTree Be Moved?: Clearly, artifi-cial trees are more advantageouswhen it comes to moving them.Because they're often boxed,these trees are lightweight andeasy to maneuver into the house.Whether a house is old or newreally does not matter when it

comes to an artificial tree thanksto the packaging.

What Does a Natural TreeLook Like?: Where natural treesupporters often stake theirbiggest claim is the tree's aes-thetic appeal. Supporters feel anatural tree is much more aes-thetically appealing. However,those buying late might be stuckwith all that's left, long after themore desirable trees have founda living room in which to spendthe season.

What Does an Artificial TreeLook Like?: While some likethe real look of a natural tree,others like their holiday tree tobe perfect, with none of thewarts of a natural tree. Artificialtrees, unless poorly produced,have no warts, as they're manmade. Also, an artificial treeguarantees its owners the samelook each and every holiday sea-son.

What Is the EnvironmentalImpact of a Natural Tree?:Natural trees are actually muchmore environmentally friendlythan they initially appear.Christmas trees are planted forthe express purpose of the holi-day season, and large numbersof new trees are planted eachyear to replenish the stock in anenvironmentally friendly way.In addition, once the season hasended, many trees are recycledand used as sand and soil ero-sion barriers.

What Is the EnvironmentalImpact of Artificial Trees?:Artificial trees often come witha host of safety warnings. That'sbecause they are made from avariety of materials, includingPVC (polyvinyl chloride) andmetals, which can put toxinsinto the air during production.That is why there are lead warn-ing labels on some artificialtrees. Artificial tree buyers mustbe careful of erecting artificialtrees in homes with small chil-dren or pets, as consumption canbe toxic. Another thing to con-sider is that many artificial treescannot be recycled, so there isno environmentally friendly wayof disposing of them whenhomeowners decide it's time toreplace them.

Page 2 - Christmas 2009

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Also

Artificial vs. Natural:Pros and Cons of Both Tree Types

Inspired holiday giftsfrom the kitchen

Holiday cookies are a culinarytreat that nearly everyone canenjoy.

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