Happy Halloween!

By Michael Rielly

Can you believe we are already in October? The leaves, at least around here, are already falling and I am starting to see pumpkins, mums, and cornstalks on front porches lately. It won't be long now before we kick out our Annual Christmas Eve Countdown thread! I am looking forward to reading about everyone's activities as we build up to the big day!

Speaking of 'big things', in case you didn't hear, we reached another milestone on ClausNet last month. In September we reached 700 registered members! ClausNet member Santa from Holland was our 700th registered member! Please take a moment to welcome him to our merry group.

Don't forget! There is still time to sign up for our Second Annual ClausNet Christmas Ornament Exchange and ClausNet Christmas Card Exchange. Last year's events were a big hit with our members! For more information, check out the ClausNet Events section.

Oh, and be sure to visit ClausNet.com on Halloween! You'll be in for a spooky treat! Or trick!

I hope you enjoy our October issue of the ClausNet Gazette! As always, don't hesitate to contact us if you have a product, event, or a story you would like to include in an upcoming issue!

Merry Christmas!

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In The News

Retailers starting to get into holiday spirit

New York Daily News -- It's Christmas time in the city - and it's only September.

Anxious retailers are decking the shelves with Santa Claus ornaments and snowman wrapping paper even though fall has barely gotten underway.

"It's 76 degrees out and I'm looking at Christmas bells," shopper C.J. Holm said while browsing at a Bronx Target.

"I'm not in the mood yet," the 46-year-old Harlem caterer said. Kmart kicked off the holiday season last week, packing seven aisles in its midtown store with icicle lights, Martha Stewart ornaments and animatronics reindeer.

Over at Macy's in Herald Square, shoppers can stroll through a forest of 40 decorated trees while air machines pump a cocktail of spruce and cinnamon scents into the air. Some stores broke out the tinsel and candy canes in August.
Read More »

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Texas Won't Mess with Christmas

Christmas Newswire -- Christmas will stay in Texas textbooks, State Board of Education members said Thursday while reviewing early recommendations for new social studies standards after pubic outcry over dropping Christmas in a Worlds Religions course for the study of Diwali (a custom observed by some Hindus and Buddhists).

The board will not approve the new curriculum standards for public schools until next year, but wanted to assure constituents they will not accept a recommendation to yank Christmas.

“We have heard quite significant feedback from parents, from people who are very disturbed that we are not going to continue keeping Christmas in our standards. No one on this board intends to take out Christmas,” said Gail Lowe, of Lampasas, chair of the 15-member board.
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Finnish business is hiring elves from Estonia

Baltic Business News -- A Finnish business is looking for elves to work in Lapland.

The applicant needs to have a positive outlook on life, a desire to work with children, a sense of humor and, of course, Finnish. It is favorable for the applicant to know other languages as well. There are different opportunities regarding the working time—there is a choice between a full time job, a part time job and a seasonal job.

There is no mention of the amount the elves get paid, it will be decided later on. The same business is also looking for a Santa Claus. The demands are the same as they were for the potential elves with the difference that the Santa Claus applicant must have a previous job experience with the same or a similar job.
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Christmas Tree Harvest Up, Prices Down

Christmas Newswire -- The Oregon Christmas tree harvest increased last year but prices fell, along with the number of jobs.

The National Agricultural Statistics Service reported this week that Oregon growers cut and sold 7.34 million trees with a value of $110.1 million in 2008.

Total sales were a slight improvement from $109.3 million in 2007 while the 2008 harvest increased by 282,000 trees, or about 4%.

But prices per tree fell 48 cents to about $15 in 2008, a decline of about 3% from $15.49 per tree in 2007.
Read More »

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California Here We Come!

FORBS gears up for 2010 Santa Jamboree

Get ready for the FORBS 2010 International Santa Jamboree -- a 5 day, 4 night event that is a little bit vacation, a little bit convention, and a little bit magic!

The event takes place June 27 to July 1, 2010 and with the exception of the parade, everything will be under one roof at the Crowne Plaza Anaheim Resort Hotel.

For those of you attending the event, we've added a new discussion forum on ClausNet under: Santa Claus Schools, Events, and Get Togethers.

For more information or to register for the event, visit the Santa Jamboree website.

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Featured Member - October 2009

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 this month’s ClausNet Featured Member of the Month for October 2009 is Santa Everett!

Everett joined our merry group back in February of 2008. He’s been a key contributor to the site since and can often be found in the Chat Room!

I had hoped to meet Santa Everett at Celebrate Santa 2008 but I was unable to attend. Although I did hear of several stories regarding Santa Everett, green hair, and Rocket Balloons. I am not sure what that was all about, but be sure to ask him about it the next time you see him.

Here’s our interview with Santa Everett, October 2009 ClausNET Featured Member of the Month...
Read the entire interview »

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

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The Beginnings of a Man

Posted in Santa Bear's by Santa Bear

Today, my oldest son graduates from High School.

Not only is he graduating with a good GPA and making a 21 on his ACT when he was sick, he is graduating a year early too. He has actually been finished with school since February.

I've always said that I wanted to be known and remembered as a good man, husband, and father. I want that for my two sons as well. My wife and I still can't believe that this day is here. Not just the day of his graduation, but the days of him firmly stepping into the role as a man.

Yes, he still has a messy room and doesn't shave as often as he should, but the way he talks about current events and his determination to finish what he has started shows me that he is on the path.

I'm so proud of him I could burst! Will I cry today? I'm pretty sure that I will. Then I'll fret over college funds, etc., as we start down that path. Luckily, he has listened to my advice on college and wants to jump right in as soon as he can and not "take off a year or so" like I did. He wants to be a computer programmer game developer. I have no doubt that he will succeed in whatever he desires to do.

We've let him sleep a little late this morning. He just walked into the room as I'm finishing up this blog entry. He almost made me start crying when he says in his fairly deep voice, "Hey Bear.". I love what I see in him. The Beginnings of a Man...
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A Gift of Magic

A story by Magic Santa Michael

One Christmas Eve many years ago, I received a request to perform my magic show at a family home in Kalihi, here in Hawaii. A little girl there was very ill with cancer and they wanted to make this Christmas special for her.

December is my busiest month and I was tired from working overtime. Even so, her Uncle was persistent and phoned me day after day. I offered them an affordable price and tried to figure out how to present a portable version of my stage show.

When I got there, no one was ready ("local time" the Uncle told me), there were 9 children and adults coming. The more I thought about it, the more I tried to figure a way to do as much of my show in this small downstairs room as I could. Why not, it was Christmas Eve.

My screens were brought in and set up. It was very tight. The people came in with a beautiful little 9 year old girl, not even in a real wheelchair, just a regular wooden chair with caster wheels attached. Bald from Chemotherapy and with an oxygen tube to help her breath.

Her eyes were very pretty, wide and attentive. She seemed as excited as the other children though less active. I understood this would be perhaps her last Christmas on earth with her family.

I did my regular show with energy and a smile on my face though inside my heart was sinking. I was just wishing there was something more I could do. I felt like I was on autopilot, part of me standing back and watching. I did all the jokes and bits of business that make people laugh that I'd learned over my lifetime.
Read More »

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Santa Voices of the Past

Each month we feature a quote from a famous Santa Claus of the past. This month's quote comes to us from Edmund Gwenn in the 1947 version of Miracle on 34th Street.

"Oh, Christmas isn't just a day, it's a frame of mind"

Edmund Gwenn
September 26, 1877 - September 6, 1959

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

• Edmund Gwenn IMDb
• Miracle on 34th Street (1947) IMDb
• Wikipedia

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