"Bah, humbug" department:
Maj. Harold Poff of the Salvation Army said Red Kettle donations are slow to come in this year. As of Monday the agency was at a little over $178,000, which is not even halfway to its goal of $500,000 for the campaign. Last year by Dec. 14 the agency had collected 58 percent of its goal.
Poff said this is the Salvation Army's largest fundraiser of the year, it's used to support agency programs that run throughout the year, including one that gives people assistance with their utilities and rent and an after-school program, which provides tutoring for students.
I can, so I'll kick in a little extra this year whenever I pass a kettle. I always get a kick out of seeing the bell-ringers (and, in some weather, feel for them). It always puts me in a better holoday spirit.
On Christmas Day, Tuesday, as people gather with their families to open presents and watch TV specials and movies, one local holiday tradition will be missing: Steve Shine's holiday movie marathon.
Shine explained he was prepared for the marathon, which he has hosted and organized on various TV channels since 1984. He had booked all his guests, set up their recording times and scheduled all the shows that would air Christmas Day. The one thing Shine was not prepared for, however, was the email he received from Jerry Giesler, president and general manager of Indiana News Center, which said the marathon would not air this year.
I have a friend who started watching the marathon every year when her family first moved to Fort Wayne from Michigan, and she was devastated when she finally discovered that Shine tapes all the segments ahead of time -- he's not actually sitting there in his armchair by the fireplace all Christmas day. Talk about having your illusions shattered.
