The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

www.oakvillebeaver.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, December 9, 2009 · 16 A Merry KISSmas to Oakville By Angela Blackburn OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF They were expecting Santa, but got `Gene Simmons' first -- and they liked it. Oakville residents voted Tom Linhares' Gene Simmons' Family KISSmas float, runnerup in the new Oakville's Choice Award for the Santa Parade. "Tom said the looks on the faces of not only the kids, but the adults, as he went by, were something he'll never forget," said Pam Damoff, chair of the 2009 Santa Claus Parade. Not many who attended the Nov. 21 parade are likely to forget seeing Linhares, a.k.a. Gene Simmons, either. He was clad in black leather and silver rivets, complete with elaborate KISS makeup. It was the Gene Simmons Family KISSmas and all of RIZIERO VERTOLLI / OAKVILLE BEAVER See Family page 17 ROCKIN' THE PARADE: Tom Linhares as Gene Simmons.