To all my Record customers on Mansfield Drive, Cliffe Avenue, 26th, Piercy and Stewart, a heartfelt thank you for your cards, gifts and tokens of appreciation this Christmas season. I have really enjoyed delivering your paper each week and have made numerous new friends and I am looking forward to another year of fun delivering your paper. I wish you all a very good year filled with good health and much happiness.
The Cameron family would like to give a big bouquet to everyone on Stadacona for all of your generous Christmas cards and gifts. Thank you so much and we wish you all the best in the new year. Due to certain circumstances we will no longer be delivering The Echo paper, but, we are still delivering The Record paper. Thank you, again.
A sincere thank you for your donations to the 30th annual Earl Naswell free Christmas dinner. The event is open to all in need to come together for companionship to share in the spirit of Christmas. Wow, another fantastic year of donations of turkeys, veggies and desserts and moneys collected from Valley businesses and private persons. Chef Andrew with the assistance of volunteers cooked Christmas dinner with all the trimmings to a record number of over 275 guests in the dining room of the Filberg Centre, plus 75 takeout dinners. We also had a Christmas blessing by a Buddhist monk, which was very well-received. We had a volunteer musician playing Christmas music. Santa and his wife (Ken and Chiral MacLeod) give Christmas presents to the children. And guests received a pair of socks or warm gloves for the men, and the same for the lady guests. The number of guests each year is growing. Who made it possible? The Valley Charitable Bingo Society, Costco, Courtenay Chrysler Dodge, Canadian Tire, Walmart, three three Tim Hortons stores, Butcher Block, Branch 17 Courtenay Legion, Comox Legion, Tony Ross, Nelson Roofing, Thrifty Foods, Mazda Motors, KIA Motors, Brian McLean Chevrolet, Westview Ford, Heavenly Goodies Bread, Sunwest Volkswagen, Central Builders, Nissan Motors, City of Courtenay, Florence Filberg Centre, Country Market, Superstore, Safeway, Saputo Foods, Home Depot, Fosters Veg, Art Knapp, Billy D's Pub, C.V. R.V. Ltd., Q Foods Courtenay, Q Foods Comox, Future Shop, Ex Foods Comox, Royal Bank, Plates Restaurant, Tanis and John, Ann and Dave, Len Wilkie, Mountain Ridge tree Farm, Comox Valley Record, Planet Clean. Plus a big thank you to all the volunteers for all their hard work and giving their time to give to others the Spirit of Christmas.
I was just having some bagels and reading the paper, wondering what kind of ribbon to wear today when I go out, and whether to stop idling my car for that lady who's not gnoshing. At least I think that's what I'm supposed to do? Maybe I'll drive over to Cumberland and watch three dogs and a fire truck in one of their parades! I then suddenly thought of all the problems we've had this past year, what with the Maple Pool people, Chum and Champ, what to do with those homeless people, big box stores open 24/7 this month, another grocery store opens (or was it one of those goofy 'dollar' stores?), bridgework snarling traffic. My, my. I hope this next year is better. And hey, who's that? I just saw a neighbour of mine; she lives about three houses away, and she's shovelling the snow from my driveway and walk! I'd say hello and thank her, but that wind's so cold when I open the door, and my bagels will get cold. Hey, all the best, eh?