Friday, November 27, 2015

And So This Is Christmas

 The sign itself should be declared historic

Okay NOW the Christmas season can officially begin -- the Boy Scouts have set up their 60+ year traditional fundraiser selling Christmas trees at Kendrick Park in the north end of downtown.

Some of you remember when then rookie Town Manager Larry Shaffer first demonstrated what he was made of when he proposed a controversial $1 per tree tax on the Boy Scouts operation that was met with a tsunami of criticism and eventually dropped.

Of course the Town Manager went one better not long after when he tried to cancel a July 4th Parade because organizers would not allow rag tag protesters to march.  Again, after a Desert Storm of criticism and threatened lawsuit by the ACLU, he backed down.

The Merry Maple (a PC version of a Christmas Tree) in town center -- the BIG original maple tree of old -- scheduled for lighting December 4th continues the grand traditions leading up to the most holy of Christian holidays.

Crews spent three days decorating the ye old Merry Maple so it should be good

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

The Merry Maple is not a PC anything. It has been lit for generations before anyone ever heard the term PC. It's used because that's the type of trees we have. It's called the Merry as in Merry Christmas for goodness sake. Can't people do something nice without dragging left/right politics into it.

Larry Kelley said...

Amherst was PC l-o-n-g before anybody came up with term.

Anonymous said...

The most holy Christian holiday is Easter, even if Christmas is the crowd favorite.

Larry Kelley said...

If he wasn't born he could not have died on the cross, to arise on Easter.

Anonymous said...

Easter (like Passover) is the major (Judeo-)Christian holiday - it likely reflects the "resurrection" associated with the northern-hemisphere spring season. By contrast, the Saturnalia (winter solstice) holiday was relatively minor until the 19th century (thanks - in the English speaking world - to Charles Dickens and the Coca Cola Corp.)

Larry Kelley said...

And who would win the fight between Superman and Mighty Mouse?

Anonymous said...

Thank you for reducing this Larry, to the level of a cartoon. Best left to the kids in the Stephen King movie.

Larry Kelley said...

Yeah, I should have been more profound and used the "How many angels can dance on the head of pin" analogy.

Anonymous said...

I guess what you are saying Larry, and no dispute, is that this replacement for Musante is quite a loser. Let's hope the tree can be lit with some sort of alternative energy, that nothing will offend any religion or group, that minorities will be well represented at the lighting, and that this years celebration of whatever it is we are allowed to call it as of late is wonderful. Oh, and no nukes and get Israel out of Palestine. Oh yes, and Go Beirne Sanders. HA!!!

Larry Kelley said...

You're reading an awful lot into my very brief post.

Anonymous said...

Yeah but you never said I was incorrect.

Larry Kelley said...

Well I don't think Dave Ziomek -- if that is who you are referring to when you say "this replacement for Musante" -- is a loser. Not in the least.

I would prefer the Select Board save the town tens of thousands of dollars and too much time wasted by appointing him permanent Town Manager. But since he does not want it, that is not going to happen.



Anonymous said...

The Amherst BID is donating thousands to make the Merry Maple much better lit than in past years. It should look spectacular! The lighting is this Friday, December 4, 3-6 PM. There will be singing from the Amherst Regional Middle School chorus, carriage rides, the UMass Amherst Minuteman Marching Band, and of course the lighting of the big Merry Maple.

Anonymous said...

Lol. Keeping it in the religious vein. Yes.

Anonymous said...

The Middle School Chorus will sing the usual Kwanza song...

Anonymous said...

And ending with Santa Claus, for those of us who think it's not really about Christmas.

Larry Kelley said...

The battle cry of pro-Overriders since day one: "Do it for the kids."

Anonymous said...

Were these the same kids held by the force of institutional racist apartheid level trackers to condemnation of non "Uber Gifted Wunderkinden"specially reserved coarses for rich white pushy soccer mom teachers union apologist shill brats only ??? What gives ??!!!

Anonymous said...

We all rail against the rich. But we all wanna Be rich. It's to laugh.

Anonymous said...

God bless the Boy Scouts.

Atheist said...

There are lots of holidays that various religious cults, including Christianity, celebrate with lights in the darkness of winter. Does anyone seriously think that Christmas is December 25 because Jesus was born that exact day? Give me a break. If you want to celebrate a religious holiday, please do so on your own dime. Believe what you want, but keep the government out of it. It's for your own protection.

Anonymous said...

Christianity is a cult? Islam is a cult? Judaism too? Atheism as well, I guess you meant to say. Interesting that Christmas is a federal holiday. And let's not forget the clause in the Constitution which says Congress may make no law restricting "the free expression of" religion. Including yours.

Anonymous said...

Lol. Oh yes. Mustn't soil the beloved Government with any beliefs.

Anonymous said...

Hey everyone... Merry Christmas!