Welcome February!

By Michael Rielly

Well January is now past us and we are another month closer to spring! But we still have a few more cold days ahead before we can put away the hats and gloves.

To me, February is not only the month of cold weather, but it's also the month for warm hearts.

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."
-- 1 Corinthians 13:4-7,13

This month we introduced ClausNet Television. Our debut broadcast was a big hit! CNTV's mission: Broadcasting History and Information To the Santa Claus World! Look for more episodes coming soon!

This month we also kicked off a new contest on ClausNet. Be sure to submit your entries for our Funniest Picture Contest. For details check out the ClausNet Contests and Happenings section.

We hope you enjoy this month's edition! As always we encourage you to participate. If you have a story you would like to share with your fellow members or a product that you would like to feature, please feel free to contact us!

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In The News

Santa's Village is investing $1.3 million in seasonal theme park

Salmon Press -- A new interactive water feature will be in place at Santa's Village this summer.

The family-owned-and-operated theme park anticipates spending $900,000 to purchase and install "HO-HO-H2O" within sight of Route 2, across from the Evergreen Motel, explained communications director Bruce Hicks, who is dubbed the park's chief elf.

This 6,400-square-foot attraction, manufactured by WhiteWater West Industries of Richmond, B.C., Canada, will feature a shallow eight-inch-deep wading pool in which youngsters can play and splash, along with ladders and slides on which they can be adventurous, plus water cannons and water jets, he said. Excavation has already begun, and installation is scheduled in May.
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Rescued goats munch on recycled Christmas trees

KING5.com -- Dozens of Christmas Trees were recycled the old fashioned way in Arlington on Saturday.

Trees were taken to an animal rescue for goats to munch on.

"People think that's the coolest thing to recycle their trees by feeding them to goats," said Ellen Felsenthal, owner of New Moon Farm Goat Rescue and Sanctuary.

New Moon takes in unwanted goats that are surrendered by owners, and also takes in goats taken by animal control.
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'I didn't think I'd see Santa again'

Edmonton Journal -- A few days ago, Lorne Anderson donned a red-and-white suit, cap and beard, and knocked on a door at the Westview Health Centre in Stony Plain.

Inside the room, a resident of the continuing care program -- one of 49 adults living in full-time care at the hospital -- woke up to see Santa Claus paying a special visit. "She sat up in bed and put her hand out," said Lorne. "She got a hold of my hand and she just pulled me down, tears in her eyes."

Lorne's annual turn as St. Nick is just one example of how the 82-year-old and his wife Phyllis go out of their way to make life special for Westview residents. On Boxing Day, they were back to drop off Christmas goodies. The treats are always nice, but Santa always gets a bigger reaction. "Some of them hang onto Santa Claus and they'll cry," said Phyllis, 78. "They always say, 'I didn't think I'd see Santa again.' ".
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Jail Inmates Forced to Listen to Sheriff’s Christmas Music

DefendChristmas.com -- Sheriff Joe Arpaio – the self-proclaimed “toughest sheriff” in America – likes Christmas music, especially “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and anything by Alvin and the Chipmunks, and apparently he thinks the 8,000 inmates inside his Phoenix jail should, too.

So it was with some glee that his Maricopa County office announced Thursday in a red-and-green press release that the “sixth and perhaps final lawsuit” brought by inmates to stop the sheriff from playing the holiday songs all day, every day, during the holidays had been dismissed in federal court.

?We keep winning these lawsuits. Inmates should stop acting like the Grinch who stole Christmas and give up wasting the court?s time with such frivolous assertions,? it read. ?But chances are they?ll keep suing and we?ll keep winning.?
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Report: US toy sales fell fractionally in 2009

Playthings.com -- Buoyed by a 2.7 percent jump in December business, US toy industry sales slipped 0.8 percent for 2009 overall, according to NPD data released in a report by Wells Fargo analyst Tim Conder.

2009?s fractional annual sales decline compared to a 2.8 percent dip in annual sales in 2008.
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Target to remodel 340 stores in 2010

Playthings.com -- Target today announced an immediate store remodeling effort as part of a longer term strategy for fostering future growth.

The retailer, speaking in advance of a planned meeting with members of the financial community, said its growth plans for the next 5 to 10 years would involve Continued growth within existing stores, achieved through a "substantial" store remodel effort that will see approximately 340 existing locations revamped in 2010, at a cost of approximately $1 billion.
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RadioShack recalls remote control toy helicopters

OregonLive.com -- The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced a voluntary recall of about 6,000 Danbar Knight Hawk toy helicopters because the battery housing under the helicopter canopy can overheat while charging, posing a fire hazard.

The helicopter can be identified by model number 006047 marked on the back of the controller and the Knight Hawk 3D logo on the front of the controller.
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Featured Member - February 2010

Each month, our Featured Member section profiles one ClausNet member. Members are chosen totally at random by myself and the staff. Once selected as Featured Member of the Month, we interview the candidate and post the interview here. This is a great way to get to know your fellow ClausNet members!

I am happy to announce that February 2010's ClausNET Featured Member of the Month is Big D!

Santa Darren aka 'Big D', joined ClausNet back in December of 2007. He is one of our younger Santas here. At 39 he is just a whipper snapper! He loves Santa Claus history and has contributed some wonderful old Santa Claus photos in his gallery.

I caught up with Santa Darren last month. Here's what they had to say...
Read the entire interview »

Visit our Featured Members of the Month section for past members!

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Yes Meghan, there is a Santa Claus

Posted in 'A Right Jolly Old Elf' blog by Santa Rielly

In a few weeks, my daughter will turn 12. Yet despite the fact that most, if not all of the kids in her school no longer believe in the Jolly Old Elf, my daughter Meghan still believes that there is indeed a Santa Claus.

She knows that I and a few of my friends are Santa Claus Ambassadors and she knows that I run ClausNet.com.

At first, you might think that she is immature for her age, but she really isn't. In may ways she is more mature than some 15 and 16 years olds.

Growing up, my parents never told my brothers and I that there was no Santa Claus. In fact, I continued to receive gifts under the tree and in my stocking every Christmas right up until the year I moved out at 19 years old!
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Best He Ever Had

A story by Storytelling Santa

First of all, I have to tell you my Grandpa Cecil was actually my step-Grandpa. I didn't know that when I was a little boy, it didn't matter when I was a man.

Grandpa Cecil was part German, His Daddy came over to the USA when he was young. He married my Grandma when my Mama was an older teen. For that reason there were times when Grandma mixed "down home in the hills" cookin' with hearty German foods. Most of the time it was a pretty good combination... both were a lot of wonderful comfort foods.

Holidays were wonderful times for my Mama's family. She has two brothers and one sister. Add to that some Aunts, Uncles and in laws and we had some pretty big to-dos.

Christmas was filled with wonderful food and Grandma's aluminum tree. It was in a revolving stand, covered with different colored ornaments each year. There was a spotlight that had wheel with 4 colors that revolved, making the tree red, then blue, green and yellow.

We lived only a block away, so little brother Mike and I got to see it more than any of our cousins.

The tree went up on the Sunday before Thanksgiving so all the family could admire it.

Now, Mama never did drink - don't think she ever took a sip even. Before Daddy settled his account with God he had a beer or two. I reckon Grandpa Cecil's family grew up on beer, part of their German heritage and all. They could sure put it away.

Grandpa was small, lean and dark. His brothers were big, meaty but dark like Grandpa. Them fellers could out drink anyone. Holidays were always a party for them. Thanksgiving was filled with drinks, roast turkey and tons of food.
Read More »

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Santa Voices of the Past

Each month we feature a quote from a famous Santa Claus or Mrs. Claus of the past. This month's quote comes to us from Beatrice Hopp.

Mrs. Beatrice Hopp is most likely the most experienced Mrs. Santa Claus ever.

Mrs. Hopp played the role from 1955 through 1979 at the Santa?s Village theme parks. She appeared at all three locations at one time or another. She was in costume over 130 days per year on the average.

Additionally, Mrs. Hopp wrote and starred in the training films for other Mrs. Santas for Santa?s Village, wrote scripts and developed the persona for the character.

Beatrice Hopp's films and writings are in the personal collection of Phil Wenz.

"I love the look on a child?s face when they see me in my Candy Kitchen. Most children have never met the real to life Mrs. Claus before."

Beatrice Hopp
1916 - 2007

Want to learn more Santa Claus history? Check out the following:

• Santa's Village History

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