Bah- Humbug!!

[AlmostThere]

My DIL recieved this from her friend in North Pole, Alaska. Just so sad for that little community as it was one of the things that helped make them close and unique.
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Mayor of North Pole, Alaska says The Grinch has stolen Christmas

The Santa Claus House in North Pole, Alaska, is outraged that the U.S. Postal Service will no longer send the city letters to Santa. (File/KTUU-DT)by Megan Baldino
Tuesday, November 17, 2009

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- The Mayor of North Pole, Alaska is calling it an assault on Christmas after the United States Postal Service says it's going to stop sending letters to Santa Claus in the Interior Alaska town.

"This is having the stocking taken away so coal can't even be put in the stocking. This is the Grinch loading Christmas on his sleigh stealing it from the kids," said Mayor Doug Isaacson.

Isaacson said he was notified of the Postal Service's decision this week, "It's destructive to the identity of the city. I was outraged."

According to a U.S. Postal Service Spokesperson for the Northwest region of the country, there is a new policy in place for letters to Santa Claus in North Pole, Alaska.

Ernie Swanson said it's an issue of security and the Postal Service has had to tighten up security.

"We've had a few issues in the last couple of years where people have gotten a hold of letters to Santa that had return addresses and kids' names on it and they've attempted inappropriate things so we've had to clamp down on this in the interest of security," said Swanson.

When asked what will happen to the letters, Ernie Swanson, said in many cases, nothing.

"It won't be responded to, it won't be processed it won't be handled it'll just be set aside and presumably put in a recycling bin or something like that."

Isaacson said it's a long-standing tradition in the community to respond to the letters and in some cases help the less fortunate. He says it's been a success for decades.

"I was frustrated they didn't tell us they were not going to allow us or our businesses to reply to letters from Santa, we've been doing this since 1954," said Isaacson.

Also making Isaacson angry, the Postal Service will no longer be using the North Pole post mark in North Pole.

In addition to the letters to Santa, hundred of thousands of people request a holiday post mark from North Pole.

Now that service will be done through the Anchorage office.

Swanson says it's a matter efficiency.

"They don't have that much processing equipment and we were getting somewhere around 700,000 or 800,000 requests a year and it was overwhelming that office."

For Mike Miller and his family, it's upsetting news.

Miller owns and operates the number one attraction in North Pole, Alaska: Santa Claus House.

Miller says it was his dad Con Miller who first requested a North Pole post mark and he says the first post office was housed in their store in 1953.

He says the move could drastically change his global Letters from Santa Claus program.

"We sell a commercial letter from Santa Claus and one of the main selling points of the letter is the North Pole Postmark," said Miller.

Miller adds that having these letters and others go through Anchorage just isn't the same.

"Because everyone knows Santa lives in North Pole."

Mayor Isaacson says he's contacted Alaska's congressional delegation and is going to bring his story to light so everyone knows what the Postal Service is up to because as he puts it, "the Grinch has stolen Christmas."

[VickieP]

I can't believe they're doing that! Grinch's suck!

[OutandAbout]

It's just one more thing added to be politically correct. Last year places around here weren't allowed to say Merry Christmas. They had to say Happy Holidays, so as not to offend anyone This year a town can't sell christmas items, or other religious items, at their christmas bazaar. How dumb is that? when will the nonsense stop? Linda

[Barbzeee]

Oh my that's awful... Linda, I guess when people stop the insanity... Seems like the history books tell of how people came to America to get away from all that nonsene of being told what they could believe in ..or what they could do .. Can't say we're going backwards..but if this is the future.. I feel very sad for the Children...cause our times will be gone...

Well, I'll still say God Bless You.

Zeee...

[AlmostThere]

UPDATE:
They just talked about this new ruling this morning on FOX News. It's nation wide, not just North Pole. It's because sex offenders can use the kids addresses!! They had one case in Maryland and that was all it took for the government to change it for everyone.

[Echo]

Has anyone else noticed that since the 'courts' have gotten more lenient with the dirtbags and riff raff how much worse it's gotten? Yep let them molest a kid, rape, torture or kill and someone will cry that they didn't know any better or couldn't help themselves. That they do it because it was done to them. Some bleeding heart will put up a stink. Slap the creep on the wrist, put them in for some so called therapy an turn them loose again.

Read an article years and years ago in my hometowm newspaper that enraged me to no end and it's only gotten worse.

Man on unemployment was selling excess veggies out of his garden. Someone turned him in, he was fined, lost his unemployment and had to repay everything.
Man stole 2 pair of childrens sneakers from a store so his kids would have new sneakers to start school with. He was arrested fined and did jail for a year and was gonna be on probation.
Man 59yrs old sodomized a little boy. Got found out went to court, got 6 months jail 'suspended' and 2 years of therapy/probation. Didn't have the sex offenders registry then.

Tell me what's wrong with this? For pocket change one guy "lost" money. For kids sneakers one guy was fined and jailed. And one guy who probably messed up a little boy for life got off the easiest.

Schools are a joke anymore. Teachers can't enforce rules, some tho they try hard barely make a dent because of restrictions, unless a kid really wants to learn. Kids graduating that can't read or do enough math to figure out a paycheck. Parents complaining that their 'babies' have to much homework. Kids skipping school and parents getting arrested for it. Parents can't discipline their kids for fear of being accused of child abuse. Teachers and kids terrified of going to school because they don't know if they're going to live thru the day. Parents giving everything a kid wants instead of what is needed the most. Time, love, attention and discipline to teach them limits. OMG!!! I really shouldn't go any further!!!

I sure don't see it getting any better either. Ok, I'm off my soapbox!!! I'm gonna go take out my frustration on some firewood. I need kindling to get the wood stove going again.

[JanetA]

Policital correctness be damned.... and bleeding heart liberals the same!

They will be the ruination of this country and I, for one, am SICK to death of them. They will be sorry some day and it looks like it will be sooner than later!

God help us all!

[VickieP]

USPS to resume North Pole Santa letters


ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — North Pole elves have good reason to celebrate again, thanks to a decision by the U.S. Postal Service to resume a Santa Claus letter program that’s thrilled children from around the world for decades.
“It’s great!” Gabby Gaborik, chief elf among several dozen volunteers, said of the agency’s Friday announcement that it’s reversing a recent decision to drop a program begun in 1954 in the small Alaska town of North Pole. The program was suspended over privacy concerns.
Gaborik’s group, Santa’s Mailbag, responds to thousands of letters addressed to “Santa Claus, North Pole” each year. The letters will now be answered by the North Pole elves under tightened privacy rules implemented nationwide by the Postal Service in response to security concerns that arose in a similar program in Maryland last year.
The group also has been assigned a specific address that will allow its volunteers to run their own alternative program, bypassing the stringent new rules and perhaps lessening the Santa letter load for the Postal Service. The restrictions don’t affect privately run letter efforts. Children can write to Santa through that program at: 1 Santa Claus Lane, North Pole, AK 99705.

[AlmostThere]

Oh, how nice to hear something positive!! Thanks for posting the update!

[Echo]

That is simply awesome!!!! WooHoo!

I just bet that they were buried in email and possibly letter complaints. Wonder how many tirades they received to make them reverse the decision?

Whatever the reason? I'm very happy that they did.

[JanetA]

yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

[carold]

whoops carold

[OutandAbout]

Heard on the news this AM that Patchogue (sp?), NY is renaming their Holiday Boat Parade to Christmas Boat Parade. This was the title years ago, before political correctness took over and they would lose their sponsor if they did not change it. This year they said what the heck and went back to the original title. Good for them. Maybe more will follow. Good news about the USPS also, the kids so look forward to their letter. Linda

[Nasoosie]

YAY to both Patchogue and North Pole, AK!!!

Now if we can just get our Christmas Holiday Concert at school renamed, instead of holiday concert. We aren't allowed to sing Christmas carols any more, either!

[JanetA]

NOT ALLOWED TO SING CHRISTMAS CAROLS?????


abominable! ! ! ! horrific!! ! !! Ludicrous! ! ! ! !

We need to clean house in the govt. and vote out the whole dang bunch of dogs!!! ,, sorry,, didn't mean to call them dogs.. that's an insult to doggies the world over! I can't think of a suitable name for them,, even pigs is an insult to pigs.

Can ya tell i'm a bit P.O'd?????

who isn't?

love ya'll!!!