Tis The Season; Builder finds 70-year-old letter addressed to Santa Claus in chimney

After nearly 72 years an old letter to Santa was found in a chimney. Oh, how times has changed.

The letter read: ‘Dear Father Christmas, Please can you send me a Rupert annual, and a drum box of chalks, soldiers and Indians, slippers and any little toys you have to spare, Love David.’

You can read more about it and watch a warm and rather touching video of Mr. Davisd Haylock reading his letter and receiving the gifts he asked for so many years ago HERE

Story and video from Metro.co.uk

Letter: Middletown needs to take lessons from county road dept.

The following letter appears in this weeks edition of the Independent. The letter reflects fairly well the frustration that residents felt and may still feel about the clean-up efforts after last weeks massive blizzard that struck the area:

In Middletown, our recent snowstorm was not only a climatic event; it was catastrophic to its citizens. From its inception, this storm paralyzed transportation on Middletown’s roads. The storm started with intensity at approximately 10 a.m. on Sunday; it roared into Monday and stopped at approximately 4 a.m. S ervices in the form of plowing appeared to be nonexistent not only during the storm but after the storm.

On Monday morning, the concept of plowing turned out to be a real mystery. With the exception of the Monmouth County roads, the roads in Middletown were not really plowed. There didn’t even seem to be an attempt to plow a single lane down the middle of the road. I always thought this was done to facilitate the movement of police, ambulance and fire vehicles. I was very concerned; I therefore called the offices of both Public Works and the business administrator. The phones of both these departments were not manned. The phone at public works had a pre-recorded message, which stated that the individual had just stepped away from her desk and I should leave a message. I called the police department and there was an immediate response from a live person. The individual said that they didn’t have anything to do with the roads.

I began to think and I reached back into my memory. I began to recollect that under our form of government it is the business administrator who is responsible for the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of Middletown. I made another call to the business administrator’s office, and once again I experienced an unmanned phone. I didn’t think that it would be appropriate to give a civics lesson to a message recorder.

Driving on Middletown’s roads has been a real challenge. It may be related to shake, rattle and maybe roll.

Middletown needs to take lessons from the Monmouth County Road Department. The work done by this department can be described as nothing less than excellent.

Middletown needs to learn how to plan, manage, deploy, schedule and implement the skills of its workers. They are a great group of guys. They should have the opportunity to do a great job.

P.S. I can’t wait for the next snowstorm. I’m thinking about purchasing a snowmobile.

Preston Gillam
Belford section of
Middletown

NJ Sen. Robert Menendez: A Letter to Santa Claus

I found the following Letter to Santa written by Senator Robert Menendez, posted over at the Huffington Post. The letter address his concerns over global warming. I think it is a cute and novel way to inform people of the problem that global warming presents.

In his letter Menendez lets Santa know that if he needs to relocate from the North Pole, due to the continuing melting of the polar ice cap, he would be happy to have him live here in the great State of NJ.

Senator Menendez also lets Santa (us) know that he is fighting to help put an end to global warming by supporting the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.


Dear Santa Claus,

I am writing out of concern, because you may have to move from the North Pole due to the dramatic melting of Arctic sea ice. The Navy's chief oceanographer says that by the summer of 2020 the North Pole may not have summer ice and other scientists project that an ice-free Arctic is possible as soon as 2012!

Scientists overwhelmingly agree that polar ice is melting because of greenhouse gas pollution and I am working hard to reduce these emissions. But there is probably nothing we can do in time to save the North Pole. I am worried about your safety and your ability to deliver billions of Christmas gifts if the ice cap on the North Pole no longer stays frozen all year. What will happen to your house, your workshop, the elves' houses and your reindeer barns?

I want you to know that if you want to relocate to the beautiful state of New Jersey, I would be proud to assist you. But given the climate you are accustomed to, I will understand if you would like to relocate to the South Pole. Just be sure not to move to the Antarctic Peninsula or West Antarctic ice sheet, areas that are also experiencing rapid ice melt.

Please know that I will work to mobilize the U.S. federal government to assist when you relocate. I am sure we can both agree that on a warming planet, we need to do all we can to save Christmas.

Sincerely,
Robert Menendez
U.S. Senator