$3.50 | Vol. 92 — Edition 254 Your local news source since 1926 Tuesday, December 25, 2018 www.ridgecrestca.com Leaving Your Employer? The DI’s annual Understand Your 401(k) Options. At Edward Jones, we can explain options for your 401(k), including leaving the money in your former employer’s plan, moving it to your new employer’s plan, rolling it over to an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) or cashing out the account subject to tax consequences. Letters to Santa To learn more, call or visit your financial advisor today. Suzan H Halsey, AAMS® Member SIPC Financial Advisor www.edwardjones.com 1525 N Norma Suite D SPECIAL, A3 Ridgecrest, CA 93555 1-760-446-4525 Winners of the DI’s 2018 Christmas Lights Contest • AS JUDGED BY JESSICA WESTON AND LAUREN JENNINGS | PHOTOS BY LAUREN JENNINGS • 1st Place: Gloria and Tony Malone 713 W. Alene This house was well decorated with tiny trinkets and an area for kids to take pictures by Santa. It was intricate, and somehow still neat and not extremely clustered. The garage doors were also decorated with Christmas-style paper and there was even a carousel on the right side of the lawn. This one was the most impressive out of the houses, because it had a handful of items other than lights and inflatables (though they had that too). 2nd Place: This house utilized their entire front yard with lights and deco- Larry and Bonnie Martin rations. This was the largest dec- 1831 S. Mahan orated yard out of the entries, and every tree in the yard was lit up. The candy cane fence on the left side of the yard as well as the mini Christmas trees all along the right side of the yard were a nice addition to the tree lights. It topped everything off with “Merry Christmas” illuminated on the garage door. 3rd Place: Christian Chavez 600 S. Silver Ridge Honorable Mention: David Bagnaschi 209 N. Helena This house was neatly decorated, and included a light up This house utilized the front yard and fence, put- Santa Claus and reindeer launching off of the roof. Overall it ting up garlands, lights and candy canes. It also gave a charming impression. It had twinkle lights neatly placed on the grass, which was a nice touch. It also had an in- has reindeer and small christmas trees on the flatable snowman as well as a reindeer on the lawn. It also lawn. The reason it won Honorable Mention had “Merry Christmas” illuminated on the garage door. though was because of the North Pole sign. Today Tomorrow Full Forecast A2 Santa Letters A3 52/39 49/36 Record A2 Classifieds B4 Tuesday, December 25, 2018 www.ridgecrestca.com A3 QUESTIONS? Contact Managing Editor Christopher Livingston at 375-4481 x111 or at Letters to Santa [email protected] RIDGECREST’S LETTERS TO SANTA 2018 Ridgecrest’s children penned plenty of letters to Santa Claus, and The Daily Independ- ent is sharing those wishes with you all. To keep the authenticity of each writer’s con- versation with Santa, all letters are shared in their original spellings and punctuation. Dear Santa, Dear Santa, Thank you for the pres- Thank you for all the ents last Christmas. The presents you gave me. I most thing I want for had a good birthday and I Christmas is a computer. bet I will have a good Please get my baby broth- Christmas. I am good at er a toy airplane. The most front filps. I hope all your important thing I am do- reign deer are feeling good. ing at home is good deeds. If you can get my brother Love, a dinosaur that would be Mason Miller nice. Love, Dear Santa, Dominic hargus thank you for getting efrething I wonted. Thank Dear Santa, you for giving me joy in my Thank you for the heart. I love you so much. stuffed animal been bad. It’s not about the pres- I’ve been geting good ents, its about you and grades in school. Can God. You and God are the Michelle please have an best people in the world. elf on the shelf for Christ- You are the guy that I want mas? Can I please have to be because because you something nice for Christ- get us lots and lots of pres- mas? ents and they are just the Love, best presents in the world. Jordyn Bodine I really believe you Santa. You and God are the best Dear Santa, people that I believe in Thank you for the pres- the universe and in the ents. I have been good in world. You are the coolest school. What I want for in the world. I love you so Chrismas is for every for mutch. I love you Santa. everyones dream to come Love, true. And I want a dog Bentley Garcia and a PS4. I want some nerf guns. I wish you will Dear Santa, have a great day. CHRISTOPHER LIVINGSTON/DAILY INDEPENDENT thank for the present Love, Romeo Deleon- last year. For this year I cann cats want some new cat gave me a hot wheels case. Love, want a big big batman. I toys. I want my family to track. I have been good in Love, Jonathan Hernandez am painting my house. Dear Santa, have a good Christmas. school. Oh ya, I want my Wyllie Hayman Love, This year I helped my can I have some LoL dolls? mom and dad to have a Dear Santa, Jens Medlin mom a lot. Thanks a lot for can my brother have some good christmas. Dear Santa, Thank you for the com- that laptop. This year I Spider man stuff? Pelese Love, Thank you for the pre- puter last Christmas I have Dear Santa, want a color changing key- don’t eat our cookies. Lucas Mckight rents last year. What I played prodegee on it to Thank you for my pres- bourd, and a color chang- Thank you so much. Have want for Christmas is a get better at math, and ents. I am presents. I am ing mouse. a Merry Christmas. Dear Santa, toy dinosaur. What I want my shapes. What I would doing hard math I want a Love, Love, Thank you for the Nin- for mom is the nicest fam- like for Christmas is 2 smart. P.S. How are your Vivian Rylee Small tendo Switch. I love it so ily in the world and the things. The 2 things are, i randeer? much. I am being a good happiest mom in the would like a puppy, and an Love, Dear Santa, Dear Santa, boy Can I have a nerf parts world. I have been good. I iPhone. What I want for Bryson Parker Thank you for all the Thank you for the and a quad? I want a Nin- have been doing nice toys you me. I think my prensents last year. You tendo Vswitch, big switch things. CONTINUED ON A4 Merry Christmas from Maturango Museum Gift Shop Wonderful Gifts for Everyone on your List Many Items Under $20 (760) 375-6900 100. E. Las Flores Ave., Ridgecrest, CA www.maturango.org WWW.VISITDESERTS.COM Open Daily 10am-5pm • Closed Christmas Day Wishing our Dec 26th and community a Very New Years Day Specials Happy Holiday Fresh Season LUNCH BUFFET Brewed from all All You Can Eat 11AM-2PM Coffee of us at only $689 only $100 Ridgecrest Ridgecrest 1601 Triangle Dr. 1601 Triangle Dr. (760) 446-PIZA (760) 446-2320 A4 Tuesday, December 25, 2018 www.ridgecrestca.com QUESTIONS? Contact Managing Editor Christopher Livingston at 375-4481 x111 or at Letters to Santa [email protected] Tahnk you for bringing cleaned up the living me cars last year. How are room, And I’ve done my Rudolf and the other rein- homework. May i have a deer? I hope they are well. remote control car, a 3x3 I’ve been good this year. I rubex cube, a megamingks help my mom clean the liv rubex cube, a 3x3x2 rubex ing room, I clean my room cube fidget spinner, a lego by my self. I help my DaD Minecraft ender men set. with the race car. I help my Love, mom with the dog. For Mark Christmas, I hope that you can bring me a super sta- Dear Santa, tion, and a robot mario, Thank you for bringing Thomas, Mario Book, me my own toolbox. I use Thomas Book, Thomas it every time there is a Math, Book, homedepot progect. How Love, are Rudolph and the oth- Jacob er reindeer? What is your favorite cookie? I hope you Dear Santa, are rested from last year’s Dec. 6, 2018 Thank you trip. I’ve been good this for bringing me rpity. last year. I work very hard this year. You are nice. Ive been year in school and on my good this yeor. I bruth my homework. may I please teth evre nit. for Christmas have a 3-piece BFF heart i hope that you can briing necklace and the rest be a me, rhBrelar, astunt car, surprise? stafta, rcar, stuf10. Love, Love, Lillian Tyler Dear Santa, Dear Santa, Thank you for bringing Thank you for bringing me shopkins last year. me a book last year. How How aer Rudolf and the are rudolf and the other other reindeer? I hope reindeer? I hope they are they are well. I hope you well. I’ve been good this are rested from last year’s JESSICA WESTON/DAILY INDEPENDENT year. I’ma good or read trip.