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lThursday.Deoember18 2014| a ’IS/bW-Tribune COLUMN All submissions must be less than 400 words and include a daytime telephone number. name and nddm The Sim-THbune reserves the right to publish or not publish And to edit for cime md space. E-mll )W.m Advertising Manger Anne Beswick nbvsuml‘fl‘vrmgmm Dmu'mn CRFANVF. Salmons Katherine Porrhemn 1 L.“ York Region Media Group community newspapers The Sun-anune. pubcished every. mum”. is a division 01 the mum Memo Gloup m. a whom- med subsidlary of 10mm Common. [)mwum. Busml 35 Anmmsmmm Robert Lazurku to speak no) customer l‘n jmusoub'yrmg. mm (Illuhrirfi'yrmgxmn lETTERS POLICY Circulation Co-ordlnator Daphne lawn? Delivery issues? DeI'wery inquiries: yrcustomersorvioe. ymchom 905-640-26 I Z H 905-640-8778 “2 1-800-743-3353 DISTRIBUTION I-855-853‘56I3 Dlmmm. Dlsmmmcm Tanya l’achem Dmn‘mn, Run ESTA": AND Cussmm (.‘ord Paolucci service mp: lm-“fl szcmn. AINERTISIM; Debra Weller Editor lim Mason biggest city. We self-park our Escalades and Bimmers at hot yoga class- es and meetings at the newest hot spots over lattes or all.you- can-eat sushi. The kids have busier sched- ules than Stephen Harper in pre-election mode. The private power skating sessions will supplement the rep hockey practices. 'llttouring is on top of school. Language lessons will surely give them that leg up. Sprawling rural estates aside. regular subdivision home prices force many a young per- son to look north, way north. of Stoufiville. further extending our massive carbon footprint. And while we scramble to out-do the friends and neighbours with last-minute Christmas gifts that will never be used or worn, don't kid yourself. There is an uglier side to Whitchurch-Stouffville. Uglier than any Christmas sweater you can mock. They don't talk about it in sales offices for new homes or at tasting; of the lates_t vintages. But We're talking about th'e marginalized among us. The people who scramble to pay $900 a month for a low-end apartment above a downtown store or in the basement of a home on your street. Your neighbours who. for a variety of reasons, can't work. at least all year. The single parents. Under- employed. Mentally ill. Physi- cally challenged. Seniors with- out a retirement plan. All with- out a dental plan. We can bfush by them on munux. Main Street and ignore their Thank you. illegal apartments on our Merry Christmas. streets. , 3‘" they 319"" 80“!!! WW Jim Mason 15 editor of The Sun-Tribune They. too. deserveaplace to mammarde live. Wmmm.MMnm Helping our marginalized more than seasonal work And in Whitchunch- e live a pretty charmed exis- tence here. east of The 404. 30 minutes north of Canada's Stouffville they also receive love. Tom Brown's CI‘V Toy Mountain isn't being built in Stouffville. In another Stoul‘fville tradi- tion, more volunteers will pne- pare and deliver hundreds of turkey dinners to the needy and lonely out of Stouffville's East- Ridge Evangelical Missionary Church on Christmas Day. Stouffville schools, business- es. service clubs and families have all chipped into The Sun- Tribune's York Region Media Group Santa Fund this month. My SUV has been filled multiple times with your new clothes, toys. household items. cheques. cash and gift cards. They’ll all go to families being helped byYellow Brick House or the Canadian Mental Health Association in this comer of York Region this week. The Stouffville Lions created their own mound of kids' play things. thanks to your generos- ity and the Town of Whitchurch- Stouffville's annual toys for parking tickets campaign. Year-round, volunteers at the Whitehumh-Stouffville Food Bank and the Emergency Care Fund come to the rescue of the need and desperate every month. Thank you. Merry Christmas. with lim Mason Offlhe Top LETTER OF THE WEEK Must be Santa, eh? Street numbers in wrong places For a long time I have been driving and trying to see the street numbers on buildings. The number is either in an odd place or it's so small you cannot read it. l have often wondered if the guy in the red and white suit at the end of the just- happened Stouffville Kinsmen Santa Claus parade is the real Santa. So. I decided to read The Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore. who was a professor of divinity and Biblical learning at the General Theological Semi- nary of the Protestant Episcopal Church. I mean. he wrote the’descfiption. so why has nobody used it before to check that guy out? Let’s do it. Eight flying reindeer â€" indeed, there were eight of them and their feet did not touch the ground. Home located near or at the North Pole â€" well. I think it is likely he lives north of Stoufiville dressed like that. I did not see him at the Strawberry Festival; so he is defi- nitely not from around here. TWO eyes are no good, you need four. No, six as you have to watch where you are driv- ing and what the other vehicles are doing. DOROTHY WAGG STUUFFVILLE I would just like to thank whomever is responsible for the lighted Christmas rein- deer at the comer of Park Drive and Main Street. They are beautiful! Merry old man with a white beard wear- ing red and white clothes â€" yep, that is what he looked like. Fits down Chimneys and high efficien- cy furnaces â€" well. he is kind of magical according to the description. so I guess 1 have to give it to him there. Reindeer light up intersection Weight loss group feels welcome Fills socks or stockings with presents â€" I always get stuff in my stocking and no one has owned up to doing it. It could be him. Is it a crime to enter someone’s house and leave good stuff? He shows up near Dec. 25 â€" that is defi~ nitely the day Christmas happens. well unless you are Ukrainian. Re: Group Has Taken Off Pounds for 45 Years, Nov. 20. TOPS 0N716 Stouffville would like to Miniature sleigh and eight tiny rein- GENERAL MANAGER John Willems PUBLISHER Ian Proudfoot HEATHER BERGMAN 8 TO UFFVILLE Although not many visitors attended our open house. it was quite interesting and fun- filled. As a non-profit weight loss support group. we appreciate the exposure you gave us with this article. thank The Sun-'Ifibune for this article. We attempt to keep our costs to a mini- mum in order to provide an afiordable pro- gram to members in the community. As well, we would like to take this opportunity to thank St. James Presbyterian church, which opens their doors to us every Monday and makes us feel quite welcome. MEMBERS OF THE TOPS 0N716 STOUFFVILLE deers - it did look kind of small to carry all the presents. But it is supposed to be a magical sleigh. so maybe the size doesn’t matter. And I must confess that since I believe Dr. Who is a real person. it is likely the sled is bigger on the inside. ‘ He whistled â€" did not hear a whistling, for sure no. But of course all those annoyâ€" ing happy children were yelling. A pipe â€" ah ha, no sir. no pipe. Well. maybe he gave it up. Makes sense. Smok- er, overweight. 200 years old. Those are all health risk factors. Belly like a bowlful of jelly â€" it did kind of bounce around when he laughed; a little like mine. actually. And intellectually l have to admit that even if you do not believe in Santa (Ilaus. Saint Nick or Pere Noel or whomever, that does not mean he is not watching you. and tracking who has been naughty or nice. This Christmas I am staying indoors where I cannot be watched and I am clos- ing the curtains. Alright then. I admit that guy has a pretty good score on the test. SUH‘l-‘I'ribune GET CONNECTED Bah Humbug I did not see him at the Strawberry Festival, 50 he is definitely not from around here. Stouflbille 6290 Main St. Stouflvme, ON. LAA 167 www.yorkregion.com SENDYOUR H HER Email your comments and/or SUQQE‘SIIOHS Io jmason@yrmg.(om (OMMEM 8. MM WHOM facebook.com/Stouffvu|lesuntnbune RON BOYD s 'n )L ’FF\’ILI.E