Page 17 - DEC2023

December 2023 NEWFOUNDLAKELIFE.COM Page 17
By BRittany amalfi
making for a fantastic experience and remarkable memories.
Leslie Dion, the Director of Recreation, had nothing but wonderful words to describe the magical event of Santa’s Village. “The setup starts the Saturday after Thanksgiving,” she said. Matt Greenwood, the person in charge of Santa’s Village, will start getting all the buildings that make up the village set up. Vari- ous scenes are a part of Santa’s Village, and each one is more vi- brant than the other. The scenes include the chapel, Santa’s house, Mrs. Clause’s cookie kitchen, the toy shop, the sweet shop, the post office, train tracks, and more!
Each scene provides the chil- dren with fun holiday-filled activ- ities that add to the anticipation of meeting Santa. A cookie from Mrs. Clause’s cookie kitchen, a toy from the toy shop, writing a letter to Santa in the post office; each experience is better than the last. As they pass through every scene, they finally make their way to the long-awaited Head Elf, who lets them in to finally see Santa and take pictures!
And, of course, we can’t for- get all of the wonderful little elves who help make Santa’s Village the most magical experience for everyone! The TTCC holds Elf Interviews for fourth and fifth graders to create a group of elves that can be the best Santa’s little helpers they can be.
When asked about her favor- ite part of the experience, Dion smiled. “It really is magical when we get to the first night and turn on all the Christmas lights. And it’s just such a wonderful experi- ence for everyone involved, espe- cially the elves and the kids who go through.”
With 69 years of tradition, there, of course, have been mon- umental people who have been a part of this process. Leslie gushed about the fantastic Bob Homer, who sadly passed away this past summer. “Bob was the Friday night Santa Claus for so many years and absolutely loved it. He always waited for me to call him upandaskifhewantedtodoit again that year, and he was ready to put on that Santa suit. He was amazing with the kids and fami- lies.” After he passed, his Santa suit was donated to the TTCC.
The 69th annual Santa’s Vil- lage and Craft Fair will be held on Friday, 12/8, from 6-8 P.M., Saturday, 12/9, from 2-5 P.M., and Sunday, 12/10 from 2-5 P.M., The Craft Fair will begin a half an hour before the village starts and end a half an hour after the village ends. The cost to get into Santa’s Village is totally free, but if people would like to bring a canned good to donate to Bristol Community Services, that would be much appreciated! Happy holidays, everyone.
It should be completely above board and changed to opt-in rather than opt-out. Don’t put the burden on customers to fig- ure out they’ve been “slammed” and call the power company (probably with an automated, confusing voicemail system with- out a human option) to opt-out. If community power really does offer better benefits to custom- ers, they will choose to make the change themselves, rather than being thrust in under the radar.
Aubrey Freedman Bridgewater
69 Years of Holiday Cheer: Santa’s Village
Community
The Tapply-Thompson Com- munity Center has been a staple in the Newfound community for decades, ensuring that fami- lies have the experience to enjoy fun-filled activities that provide a sense of happiness and belong- ing. There’s quite no other feeling than walking through the TTCC doors and instantly experiencing the welcoming atmosphere that the team supplies. The TTCC provides year-round activities for everyone in the community, but there is always something spe- cial when Newfound approaches the long-awaited holiday season. With all of the events and activ- ities that families can experience around the merry season, the community is bursting with an- ticipation for the holidays. For those who have been a part of the Newfound community, the TTCC’s renowned Santa’s Vil- lage has offered holiday cheer for 69 years.
2023 marks the 69th year of Santa’s Village at the TTCC, and over these exceptional six- ty-nine years, generations of families have made time in their busy winter schedule for a stop in Newfound’s own North Pole.
Santa’s Village was created by Wink Tapply and the members of the Community Center Board in 1954. Since then, the delightful event has developed and grown,
Leslie informed me that the highest turnout Santa’s Village has ever had was around 1,700 people, and there are about 1,300 people who show up typ- ically. “We see generations of
Regarding the proposal for Bristol residents to possibly adopt a Community Power Plan next year, I see one problem not dis- cussed thoroughly in the article in your paper last month. Every Bristol resident that doesn’t al- ready get their power from a competitive supplier will au- tomatically be opted into the Community Power Plan whether they choose to or not.
The problem with opt-out is most folks will have absolutely no idea that they have been switched to a new supplier since the bill will still be from Eversource or NH Electric Co-op. Yes, an “en-
people come through Santa’s Village,” Dion said. “Even peo- ple who have moved away have returned to bring their children through and to have their chil- dren be elves just like they were.”
rollment notice” will be mailed out to everyone before being switched, but how many people actually read through every piece of junk mail they receive daily? Furthermore, most people are paying their bills online these days and are not scrutinizing every detail of the bill.
Phone companies pulled this shenanigan years ago and “slammed” customers over to different long-distance carriers without permission. This was a sneaky way to pull the wool over customers’ eyes. Herein lies the same problem with this proposal for Community Power.
Christmas In Song' Is Back!
The "Christmas In Song" musical program will be held this year (2023) at Bristol Baptist Church, located at 30 Summer Street in Bristol, NH, on Sunday, December 10th at 6:00 pm. It will include talent from the Newfound area (and beyond). Included in the program, the audience will sing Christmas carols from the hymnals. The free-will offering will benefit Bristol Community Services again this year. There will be light refreshments in the vestry after the program. For more information, please call 603 744-8804.
Bristol Baptist Church, located at 30 Summer Street in Bristol, NH, will be holding its annual Christmas Eve service at 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, December 24, 2023. This candlelight service is our celebration of the birth of our Lord Jesus the Christ. All are invited.