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Memories of Christmases Past Bring Smiles to Today

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December 18, 2025

Next Thursday is Christmas Day. As Christmas approaches, I find myself reminiscing on some of the wonderful holiday celebrations I’ve enjoyed. With your kind permission, I’d like to share one of them with you - and I know I’ve related this before, but it bears repeating, especially as the holiday comes near. A child sees the Christmas holiday so much differently than an adult does. One of the best examples from my childhood would be the wonderful holiday of 1967, when my family lived on the second floor of a two-story flat on Washtenaw Avenue in Chicago. On that Christmas Eve, my father took me and my siblings to church while Mom stayed behind to attend to some last-minute cooking for the next day.

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Will The Real Santa Claus Please Stand Up?
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December 18, 2025

Who is Santa Claus, that is a question that has probably been asked for ages. Some believe the man is a legend, others believe he is a myth and just don’t care. However, Santa does have many personalities and many names throughout the world. Ever wonder how he makes it around the world in one night. Well this column may shed some light on that and the different Santa legends. Here in America Santa dresses in a red suit, flies on a sleigh pulled by flying reindeer and is a jolly old soul and deliveries his gifts to children on Christmas Eve each year, unlike a counterpart we will talk about later. Of course, we all know that our Santa actually originated from a historical figure, Saint Nicholas. Saint Nicholas was a bishop who was known for his generosity and kindness. Through his life of be compassionate and so giving, our Santa Claus was born.

Taylor Is Officially Superintendent
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December 11, 2025

After waiting for a 14-day waiting period as required by state law, Jonathan A. Taylor signed his contract as the new superintendent of the Talbot County School System during last week’s meeting of the Board of Education. The board began a search for a new superintendent after Dr. Jack Catrett retired on Aug. 29 after 13 years of service to the school system. The Board on Monday, Nov. 10 that Taylor was the sole finalist for the position of Superintendent. Before being named Superintendent, Taylor had served as Principal and as Interim Superintendent. He brings an extensive skill set and broad knowledge base as an educational leader to his new position. With his vast experience in education, he is hopeful to make a positive impact in helping students excel and make valuable advancements.

Seven Central Middle School Students Inducted into Reach Scholarship Program
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December 11, 2025

Central Elementary-High School (CEHS) is proud to announce the induction of seven outstanding eighth-grade students into the REACH (Realizing Educational Achievement Can Happen) Georgia Scholarship Program. This year’s newly named REACH Scholars are Emmanuel Hatchett, Sasha Mata, Samiya Mata, Taniyah Matthews, Olivia Mahone, London Nieves, and DeAsia Thomas. This group represents the largest cohort of REACH Scholars in CEHS history since the school joined the statewide program in 2021. With their induction, the total number of CEHS students who have been selected as REACH Scholars has grown to 29, marking a significant milestone in the school’s commitment to academic excellence and student achievement. The REACH Georgia program is a statewide initiative designed to provide promising students with academic coaching, mentorship, and financial support as they progress through high school and prepare for college. Scholars commit to maintaining a 2.5 GPA in core classes, demonstrating good behavior, and meeting attendance expectations. Upon graduation, each student receives a $10,000 scholarship to apply toward postsecondary education.

DID YOU KNOW …? Did two airline CEOs settle a dispute over an advertising slogan with an arm-wrestling match?
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December 11, 2025

Time for that honored tradition, my annual letter to Santa Claus! Dear Santa, To tell you the truth, I don’t want anything special for Christmas this year. I know, based my past history, that’s pretty amazing, but at my age … well, I already have everything I need and a great deal of what I want. So if you had anything specific for me, please leave it under the tree of a deserving soul who could use it better than I. If you stop by anyway, I’ll leave out the milk and cookies. Love, Jack Now, on to the trivia!

Even I Cannot Make This Stuff Up, Folks
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December 11, 2025

If, like me, you find yourself scrambling for those last-minute Christmas gift ideas, you might find the following information helpful - or at least wildly amusing. And if you’re one of those people who took care of their holiday shopping months ago, read on anyway and maybe you’ll get a laugh. As I do what little Christmas shopping I have to do, I find something to be more and more true: We live in an incredibly strange society these days. If you wonder what I mean, check out the online registry Craigslist. There you can get literally anything - including someone to pretend to be your significant other for a day; someone who will be your personal alarm clock; someone who will follow you around and remind you what time it is. All for a fee, of course, and all for … well, I am not exactly sure why.

Hope the Surgery Doesn’t Ruin the Holidays
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December 11, 2025

After more than three months of exams, tests, pokes, prods and more, this week I’ll be at St. Francis Hospital in Columbus to have a couple of aneurysms repaired. Let me explain about these bad little bubbles in your arteries. They collect blood and as they reach a certain size, they are prone to rupture. If they do that, it’s lights out you bearly have enough time to say, Ouch! Let me point out I’ve lived with three on them for a long time. I have a thoracic aortic near my heart and two in my abdomen aorta. The two in my abdomen are ready for surgery. Thankfully, the surgery for those are not as invasive or as extensive as the one near the heart. So, recovery time is much, much quicker. So, I should be back at work fairly quickly, even though it will be on a limited basis. I’ve already been instructed that I can’t lift more than three pounds, can do any bending or squatting for a while. Well, there goes the deep knee bends. Lol. Anyway, I’m not worried at all about the surgery. I know God will take care of me and if it’s his will I know where I’m going so there is no reason to worry.

The Early History of Christmas (Part 2)
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December 11, 2025

Only two weeks remain until Christmas. Last week we explored some of the ancient festivals that impacted the modern celebration of Christmas. Among those were various gatherings conducted around the winter solstice, during which people bought or traded for the things they needed or wanted. There was the Northern European Yule that not only celebrated the winter solstice, but the return of the Sun in the form of longer days. From it comes the giving of gifts and decorating with evergreen boughs. This festival could last up to 12 days – from which the “Twelve Days of Christmas” might be drawn. The Roman Empire had two winter festivals Saturnalia and Sol Invictus, or Dies Natalis Solis Invicti. During the first, homes were decorated with holly, fir, ivy, or whatever greenery was available along with the giving of small gifts. The second was held specifically on December 25. The similarities between these historic celebrations and the modern celebration of Christmas are undeniable, yet there is more history to uncover.

* A Powerful Bedtime Prayer Before Sleep *
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December 11, 2025

Greetings and blessings! My dear brothers and sisters, we should always pray without ceasing. It is highly essential and very much so, necessary, perhaps especially at bedtime. Reason being, many go to sleep and never awake, not in this world and missed that chance. My wonderful wife and I pray together daily and especially at bedtime. So often, I listen to bed time prayers at night. So if you like, here’s one you can make your personal bedtime prayer:

DID YOU KNOW …? Whose is the most reproduced portrait in U.S. history?
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December 4, 2025

Now that we are in the last month of the year, and getting ready for Christmas, Hanukkah, and all the other great holidays, I thought it appropriate that I remind you of something. Winter is coming. (Did you ever see three little words that can sound like a good thing and a bad thing all at the same time?) Yes, time to prepare for the cold, the snow (depending on where you are), and all that other stuff. Get your snow suits, toboggans and sleigh bells ready! While you do, enjoy another round of silly trivia, which I dredge up just for you.