18970921 Francis P. Church: “Yes Virginia There is a Santa Claus”

“Yes Virginia There is a Santa Claus”

From the Editorial Page of The New York Sun,

written by Francis P. Church, September 21, 1897

"Dear Editor--I am 8 years old.

"Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus.

"Papa says, 'If you see it in The Sun, it's so.'

"Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?

Virginia O'Hanlon

115 West Ninety-fifth Street

Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the scepticism of a sceptical 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 insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion 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 there were no Virginias. There would be no child-like faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

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 you 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 children 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 conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

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18970921 Francis P. Church: “Yes Virginia There is a Santa Claus”

19970609 Mayor and Council meeting agenda for of June 9 1997

19970609 Mayor and Council meeting agenda for of June 9 1997

CITY OF WESTMINSTER, MARYLAND

Mayor and Council Meeting of June 9, 1997


A G E N D A

1. CALL TO ORDER - 7:00 P.M.

2. MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF MAY 12, 1997, AND BIENNIAL ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING OF MAY 19, 1997.

Presentation of Letter of Commendation to Police Officer Thomas J. Kowalczyk.

3. PUBLIC HEARING:

Public Hearing to receive comment on Zoning Map Amendment Case No. MA 95-1, requesting reclassification of the proposed 44.37-acre Union Ridge development from the R-10,000 Residential Zone to the PD-4 Planned Development Floating Zone.

4. CONSENT CALENDAR:

April Departmental Operating Reports, and the American Diabetes Association Walk-A-Thon fundraiser, to be held on September 13, 1997.

5. REPORTS FROM MAYOR

6. REPORTS FROM STANDING COMMITTEES

7. ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS:

Introduction of Ordinance No. 619 changing the time of the Biennial Organizational Meeting from 7:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Introduction of Ordinance No. 620, revising procedure for impounding or immobilizing vehicles.

Suspend Rules of Order and Procedure to enact the following three Resolutions:

Resolution No. R97-3 supporting redevelopment of the Locust Street “Glass Building,” by Paradiso Restaurant.

Resolution No. R97-4 supporting construction of the new Fire Department building site on John Street.

Resolution No. R97-5 establishing Westminster as a designated community.

8. UNFINISHED BUSINESS:

a. Westminster Fire Company to present update on Building Fund.

(OVER)

CITY OF WEST­MINSTER, MARYLAND
Mayor and Council Meeting of June 9, 1997
A G E N D A (Continued)


9. NEW BUSINESS:

a. Confirmation of Mayoral Council Committee Appointments.

b. Request for handicapped parking spaces near Playground.

c. Cancel meeting of June 23, 1997, due to Maryland Municipal League Convention.

d. Acceptance of Assignment of Title for water main serving Griffith Auto Park.

e. Confirmation of Mayoral Appointment of Dennis Frazier to the Planning and Zoning Commission.

f. Auditor’s Engagement Letter for fiscal year ending June 30, 1997.

10. DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS

11. CITIZEN COMMENTS

12. ADJOURN
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