$1.50 | Vol. 94 — Edition 155 Your local news source since 1926 Friday, December 25, 2020 www.ridgecrestca.com Is there DI 2020 Christmas Light a Santa Claus? Contest winners

Editor’s note: Eight- year-old Virginia 1st O’Hanlon wrote a letter to the editor of New York’s Sun, and the quick response was printed as an unsigned editorial Sept. 21, 1897. The work of veteran newsman Francis Pharcellus Church has since become history’s most reprinted newspaper editorial, ap- pearing in part or whole in dozens of languages in books, movies, and other editorials, and on posters and stamps.

DEAR EDITOR: I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no LAUREN JENNINGS/DAILY INDEPENDENT Santa Claus. 701 Peg Street Papa says, ‘If you see it in THE SUN it’s so.’ Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus? 2nd VIRGINIA O’HAN- LON. 115 WEST NINETY- FIFTH STREET.

VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men’s or children’s, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere in- sect, an ant, in his intel- lect, as compared with the boundless world LAUREN JENNINGS/DAILY INDEPENDENT about him, as measured 713 West Alene Avenue by the intelligence capa- ble of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge. Yes, VIRGINIA, there 3rd is a Santa Claus. He ex- ists as certainly as love and generosity and de- votion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if LAUREN JENNINGS/DAILY INDEPENDENT there were no VIR- 1831 South Mahan Street GINIAS. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, ex- Honorable mentions cept in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extin- guished. Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither chil- dren nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that’s no proof that they are not there. Nobody can con- ceive or imagine all the PHOTOS BY LAUREN JENNINGS/DAILY INDEPENDENT See VIRGINIA, A5 TOP LEFT: 111 Chambers TOP RIGHT: 928 West Willow BOTTOM LEFT: 1019 Peg Street BOTTOM RIGHT: 701 Cottonwood Drive

Today Tomorrow Full Forecast A9 Comics A8 Letters A2 53/20 57/26 Record A9 Classifieds A10 A2 Friday, December 25, 2020 www.ridgecrestca.com Letters to Santa Claus

Dear Santa, am 2. I would like any- Connecticut Idaho wear a size 4T. For Christmas I want a thing PJ mask and co- California Hi Santa, Dear Santa, Thank you, Joran hoverboard and a headset comelon. I am a size 5T Dear Santa, I want a Lightning Mc- May I have a onewheel VR and pajamas and a and a size 10 in toddlers. How are you? I hope Queen racetrack please. and a metaldetctor and a Maine Barbie farm and a Christ- Thank you so much. you are healthy. I want Ian set of brior horses for my Dear Santa, mas sweater and a barbie O’Shea some toys. Beyblade, sister and cowgirl boots This year I want a Ipod, closet and a elf. I love you! knights toys, legos, Florida for my mom and a new hover board, Electric gui- Madison Arizona Godzillas, toy soldiers. Dear Santa, rope for Rocky. tar and a remote control Ridgecrest Dear Santa, Thank you, Santa I been good this year. I From Kiptyn shark. We are leaving you would like a L.O.L surise Thank you, Nate Colorado Illinois Letters from around cookies my Mommy O.M.G remix super sur- Missouri the country, provided made, eat them up, Dear Santa, prise, mini brands, na na Dear Santa, by USPS please. I wish you could I no its a little erly but I no surprise, call of duty My name is Joran and I Dear Santa, bring two Woody’s for relly want a ... bunny Il modern warfare. P.S. I am three years old. I My name is Kenlee and Abreon and I so we don’t feed it and take good care would like to move to would like learning here is my Christmas list. Alabama fight over them. And a of it! Germany. games, books, cars, 1. Baby 2. Soft bed 3. Red Dear Santa, toy Ant. 2 biting ants!! From Norah Love, Elearnor trucks, trains, fast toys, PJ car My name is O’Shea I Deloreon mask, monster trucks. I Thank you

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995 N Norma St, Suite E Ridgecrest, CA 93555 Local realtors ready to distribute Santa 760-499-1098 to a Senior gifts sponsored by RAAR. A4 Friday, December 25, 2020 www.ridgecrestca.com It started with 30 Christmas trees and a man who wanted to help struggling local families By Kim Strong months alone, and he’s the sole trees are you buying today? York Daily Record provider at home, for his wife, He was only there for one, son and daughter. If that peri- but it made Graham think Jeff Graham had a couple of od of slow business would have about buying trees for everyone tough months this year. gone on much longer, he would shopping at the farm that day. He tows things — cars, be telling a different story to- Could that be his personal gift trucks, vans, whatever’s on day. this holiday season? But then the road that can break down. Looking around him, it hurts he thought better of it. If fam- The problem for his business, to see the struggles now for ilies were there, they were like- Unlimited Towing on East other families. He decided he ly already able to afford a Market Street in York, was that wanted to do something but Christmas tree. there weren’t many vehicles just didn’t know what. So, he took his tree that day on the road for the first few He, his wife and daughter and made a plan to return. months of the pandemic. showed up at McPherson’s When he did, his wife, “You went from doing 15 Tree Farm, near Sam Lewis daughter and two employees calls (a day) to maybe three, if State Park, a couple of weeks joined him. They asked for 30 you were lucky. It was only me ago with a rollback, a truck trees to be cut down. and one other employee, and I with a 22-foot-long bed meant “At first they looked at me SUBMITTED No fewer than 30 trees made their way from McPherson Tree Farm to had to lay him off until Sep- to hold a vehicle for towing. like they didn’t believe it,” an empty parking lot in York, where Jeff Graham, his family and em- tember,” he said. One of the employees at the ployees Melody Nalbandian and Robert Kelley, handed out free trees Graham, 36, worked those farm jokingly asked: How many See TREES, A5 and gift cards.

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(and Walker’s father), see it play it out like this. is a veil covering the yond. Is it all real? Ah, TREES was there when Graham … It was a real honor and VIRGINIA unseen world which VIRGINIA, in all this showed up with his roll- a privilege to be a part of not the strongest man, world there is nothing Continued from A4 back. this.” Continued from A1 nor even the united else real and abiding. Gouker was curious In about 90 minutes, strength of all the No Santa Claus! about the number of trees the bed of the truck was strongest men that ever Thank God! he lives, Graham said. Graham wanted, so, ac- filled. Graham had put wonders there are un- lived, could tear apart. and he lives forever. A That’s because it was a cording to Walker, he out a notification on seen and unseeable in Only faith, fancy, po- thousand years from first, according to Gian said something like, “I Facebook that he’d be the world. etry, love, romance, now, Virginia, nay, ten Walker. She’s the fourth don’t mean to be nosy, giving away trees on You may tear apart can push aside that times ten thousand generation of family to but what are you going to Carlisle Road where it the baby’s rattle and curtain and view and years from now, he will work at the McPherson do with all these trees?” meets Route 30, at an old see what makes the picture the supernal continue to make glad Tree Farm, and her 9- Walker told him that pre-owned car parking noise inside, but there beauty and glory be- the heart of childhood. and 10-year-old children he wanted to provide a lot. He thought his so- are the fifth. gift to others struggling cial media post would “For all of those gener- this holiday. make its way to people www.ridgecrestca.com ations, none of us can re- “My dad was taken who needed help, and it member someone doing aback, and he got a little did. something like this,” she choked up,” Walker said. When Graham, his said. “We’ve never had any- family and employees Started in the 1950s by body do something like showed up, a line of peo- Merry Christmas from her great grandfather, that.” ple was already waiting Sidney McPherson, it’s a But this year, a tough for them. One of those family hobby to grow and year for so many, the tree people was a woman, Maturango Museum Gift Shop prune the trees — more farm has had more feel- who, like the others, gra- than 12,000 of them now. good moments than usu- ciously accepted a tree It was fitting that al — people paying it for- and an unexpected en- McPherson, who was ward. velope from Graham. born on Christmas Day, “Nothing on this scale The woman walked came to start a tree farm. though,” Walker said. back to her car with the John Gouker, a “For us to be a part of McPherson descendant something like this and to See GRAHAM, A6

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GRAHAM

Continued from A5

Wishing envelope and opened it, discovering that Graham You All had given her a generous gift card as well. She walked back to the group, A Very crying and thankful for what they had done. Merry Graham had spent nearly $1,100 on the trees and even more on all the Christmas gift cards. “That one woman right there, that made it all worth it,” he said. “That was the feeling you were going for.” His wife was there and their two kids, who hand- ed out candy canes to the 803 N China Lake Blvd people who had come for 760-371-ROSE(7673) a tree. floralaccentscc.com “We were all happy. Everybody was happy. If nobody else showed up, PAUL KUEHNEL, YORK DAILY RECORD that one lady, that made Family runs through the trees with a dog chasing close behind through McPherson Tree it all worth it,” he said. Farm in Hellam Township on November 15, 2015.

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FINANCIAL FOCUS Time for New Year’s financial resolutions

any of us probably pandemic and its terrible it comes to your 401(k) or ues. But if you did manage to felt that 2020 last- consequences, both to indi- similar employer-sponsored boost your own personal ed a very long viduals’ health and to their retirement plan, put in as savings when your spending Mtime. But now that economic well-being. None much as you can afford this was constrained, is it possi- 2021 is upon us, we can make of us can foretell the future, year, and if your salary goes ble to remain a good saver a fresh start – and one way to either, but we can be pre- up, increase your contribu- when restrictions are lifted? do that is to make some New pared, and one way to do so tion. Probably. And the greater Year’s resolutions. Of is by building an emergency Recognize your ability your savings, the greater course, you can make these Suzan Halsey fund. Ideally, such a fund to build savings. During the your financial freedoms – in- resolutions for all parts of Edward Jones should be kept in liquid, low- pandemic, the personal sav- cluding the freedom to invest your life – physical, emo- risk vehicles and contain at ings rate shot up, hitting a and freedom from excessive tional, intellectual – but have kets to rally, rewarding those least six months’ worth of record of 33% in April, ac- debt. When we reach a post- you ever considered some fi- patient investors who stayed living expenses. cording to the U.S. Bureau of pandemic world, see if you nancial resolutions? the course. Nothing is a cer- Focus on moves you can Economy Analysis. It fell can continue saving more Here are a few such resolu- tainty in the investment control. In response to pan- over the next several months, than you did in previous tions to consider: world, but the events of 2020 demic-related economic but still remained about years – and use your savings Don’t overreact to followed a familiar historical pressures, some employers twice as high as the rate of wisely. events. When the coron- pattern: major crisis fol- cut their matching contribu- the past few years. Of course, These aren’t the only fi- avirus pandemic hit in mid- lowed by market drop fol- tions to 401(k) plans in 2020. much of this surge in Ameri- nancial resolutions you can February, the financial mar- lowed by strong recovery. Will some future event cause cans’ proclivity to save mon- make – but following them kets took a big hit. Many The lesson for investors? another such reduction? No ey was due to our lack of op- may help you develop habits people, convinced that we Don’t overreact to today’s one knows – and even if it tions for spending it, as the that could benefit you in 2021 were in for a prolonged news – because tomorrow happens, there’s probably coronavirus caused either and beyond. slump, decided to take a may look quite different. nothing you can do about it. complete or partial shut- — This article was written “time out” and headed to the Be prepared. At the be- Instead of worrying about downs in physical retail es- by Edward Jones for use by investment sidelines. But it ginning of 2020, nobody was things you can’t control, fo- tablishments, as well as din- your local Edward Jones Fi- didn’t take long for the mar- anticipating a worldwide cus on those you can. When ing and entertainment ven- nancial Advisor.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FOCUS Fraught times for Gavin Newsom or years, Gavin to force a special elec- These people don’t nor, letting Lt. Gov. the French Laundry Newsom had a tion. mention naming the Elena Kounalakis re- embarrassment, just as Midas touch. He Among the overex- best possible senator or place him and then put he earlier did for a Flegalized same- posed, Brown served one with a shot of win- him in the Senate. Folks years-ago affair with sex marriage in San two terms as governor ning election on their who pull that maneuver his former best friend’s Francisco, and later the in the 1970s, then was own; only of naming rarely win later on their wife. He’s certainly no U.S. Supreme Court beaten for the Senate in people with particular own. saint, but that has not put a stamp of approval 1980. Once his father ethnicities and skin Then there are New- yet hurt him at the on the controversial Thomas Elias Pat Brown had served colors. Newsom also som’s own missteps. polls. He also has time move. He committed a two terms, Republican must appoint a replace- No governor could look to clean up the many sort of sacrilege by with comforting words Ronald Reagan retired ment for Xavier Becerra much worse than New- problems and scandals contesting the 2010 and occasional actions him in 1966, long be- as state attorney gener- som did when he joined at the state’s unem- primary election to ease the crisis for fore governors had al once Becerra be- high-priced lobbyist ployment department. against the almost Californians, Newsom term limits. comes President-elect friends last fall in a Meanwhile, it’s pos- sainted (among Califor- has come to be regarded Now Newsom must Joe Biden’s secretary of soiree at Napa County’s sible a recall (if it hap- nia Democrats) Jerry by many as a sort of make appointments to Health and Human Michelin-starred, hy- pens) and his quick Brown, then settled for prison warden or at least two major of- Services. And if New- per-expensive French French Laundry apolo- lieutenant governor and spokesman for the dis- fices, and possibly as som makes a senator of Laundry restaurant. gy can leave him went on to become ease, which has so far many as four within the his friend and early After warning Califor- stronger than before. governor in 2018. And killed about 20,000 next month. He’s under supporter Padilla, he’ll nians not to eat indoors For one thing, a recall more. Californians and closed pressure from ethnic have to name a new at restaurants or to election in 2021 would Things look different myriad businesses. groups of all types in secretary of state. participate in gather- put Newsom into cam- for Newsom today, af- California voters this day of identity pol- There’s also the real ings of more than 10, paign mode early and ter 10 months of the have a long habit of itics. Latino groups possibility California’s Newsom was caught likely get many voters coronavirus pandemic, dumping overexposed claim he must appoint other U.S. senator, Di- with a party of 12 in a accustomed to backing his continued failure to politicians, a threat one of them to the U.S. anne Feinstein, will re- space that could barely him. act against big utilities Newsom faces today, Senate seat Harris will tire at 87, and also need be considered out- So it’s premature, at while they keep causing due for reelection in vacate. If he anoints replacing. doors. the very least, to dis- wildfires, and the ele- less than two years and California’s Latino sec- Whatever Newsom This slimed him with miss Newsom as vation of his old friend facing a recall move- retary of state Alex does, he’ll make many the hypocrite label no doomed because of his Kamala Harris to ment that claims to Padilla, he’ll be vilified people unhappy. politician wants. But mistakes and the dicey America’s vice presi- have collected more by groups saying a But it would be poor Newsom still can re- choices he faces. dent-elect. than half the 1.495 mil- black woman has to get form for Newsom to re- deem himself with vot- Email Thomas Elias at Whatever choices he lion signatures needed the job. sign suddenly as gover- ers. He apologized for [email protected]. makes now seem to cause him trouble. Start with his conducting al- most daily televised updates on COVID-19, which leaves him woe- fully overexposed. Rather than stepping in

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Norma • Ridgecrest, CA • 760-446-9800 Visit our Web Site at www.rcnazarene.org Pastor Wayne Porter Merry Wishing You All Christmas Wishing our community a from Merry Christmas all of God Bless America us at From the crew at 1-760-375-4123 Vaughn Realty 501 W. Ridgecrest Blvd. 509 W. Ward • 760-446-6561 A&LA&L TTIREIRE 317 W. INYOKERN • 760-446-2575 A12 Friday, December 25, 2020 www.ridgecrestca.com Bye, Bye 2020! More than half of Americans are optimistic about their finances in 2021 after rough year By Jessica Menton people officer at Credit Karma. New financial habits To be sure, half of Americans men responded that they were USA TODAY “Developing an emergency About 43% of Americans experienced a financial set- able to supplement their in- savings fund was at the top of picked up a new financial habit back in 2020, with 81% citing come, compared with 34% of The coronavirus pandemic the list, which was a new trend as a result of COVID-19, and COVID-19 as the direct cause, women. has upended Americans’ lives directly related to COVID-19.” 94% plan to continue that according to the study. Of this Men were also more opti- this year, threatening their One-third of respondents habit in 2021. The most popu- group, 40% had their income mistic about their ability to health and delaying financial aim to start an emergency lar include setting a budget, drop, and one-quarter of them achieve financial milestones milestones after the worst pan- fund, the study showed, after cutting spending, starting to experienced a job loss. The in 2021. demic in a century pushed the roughly 30% had to draw on save, tracking credit scores hardest hit demographic was “Women were hit hard dur- U.S. economy into recession. their savings during the pan- more closely and learning people 18 to 34 and those mak- ing the pandemic between be- But there’s good news: De- demic to make ends meet. An- about investing. ing below $50,000 a year. ing in some of the lowest-pay- spite the economic fallout, other third are stashing mon- “Investing is scary for a lot of These setbacks caused 43% ing jobs and taking on the care- more than half of Americans ey away for a vacation next people. But the stock market of respondents to postpone fi- taker role for children or older are optimistic about their fi- year, while just over one-quar- has done exceptionally well nancial goals this year, includ- relatives,” says McCreary. nances in 2021 as the economy ter are looking to buy a car af- this year and Americans don’t ing buying a car (40%), going Overall, nearly one-third of enters a recovery, with two- ter some left big cities for sub- want to feel left behind,” says on vacation (37%), starting an respondents took on more thirds expecting to achieve a urbia due to the rise in COVID McCreary. “People had more emergency fund (31%), pur- debt. delayed financial milestone, cases and the ability to work free time to learn more about chasing a home (21%) or having “People want to know what according to a new survey con- remotely. investing during the pandem- a medical procedure (18%). their financial wellness is right ducted by Credit Karma. More than one-third of re- ic because they weren’t going Men were forced to put off a now. So start a financial plan “Many people are excited spondents said the pandemic on vacation or commuting to financial milestone more than and figure out how much mon- about putting 2020 behind has helped them save, with work.” women, but men were also ey you want to set aside,” says them and are focused on fi- 84% expecting to stick to their more likely to be able to sup- McCreary. “Once you develop nancial planning for next year,” current spending levels post- Setbacks for young, those plement their income if they good habits, you’ll want to says Colleen McCreary, chief pandemic. making $50k faced a setback. Nearly half of continue that positive trend.”

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From our family to yours, we wish you blessings and joy this holiday season!

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