Days Gone By In Staunton

Thursday, December 18, 1975 -- Activity Center Will Open Dec. 27 -- The Staunton Youth Activity Center will open Saturday, December 27, at 1 p.m. at 110 North Edwardsville Street (formerly Dr. Pineda's office).

The center will offer a twofold program for the youth of Staunton, recreational activities and a counseling setting. Under recreational activities, the center can offer a weekly movie series, craft workshop such as; ceramics, photography, candle making, etc., yoga, sports, field trips and camping. The center will contain some recreational equipment that will be coin operated to help defray expenses.

Under counseling the center could offer rap groups and drug, family, parent-child and career counseling. This center will be for teenagers from thirteen to eighteen. The center will have full time professional supervision.

An Advisory Board has been formed to monitor the budget. The board consists of members of the community. They are Rev. Shearburn (President), Neida Bierbaum (Vice President), Beverly Bangert (Sec-Treas), Pastor Kittel, Joan Yaeger, Dee Fritz, Dorcas Williamson and Russell Masinelli The center will also have a youth council whose function will be to implement new programs and ideas for the center and to enforce the rules they establish.

This project is supported by the Junior Service Club, the Lions Club, the Chamber of Commerce, the Staunton Clergy Assoc, and concerned citizens. Community support and funding is needed to operate the center for the first year until state and federal funding can be obtained. Cash donations are being accepted by John Linger at the First Community Sate Bank.

Staffing for the center will be provided by Topper and Kaywin Davis who have worked as para-professionals for the past three years in the field of counseling. Their salary will be paid for by the Madison County Economic Commission and Illinois Valley Economic Development Corporation. Mr. Davis has worked for the last year as a counselor at SIUE and is presently working on his degree. Mrs. Davis is working on her Masters degree in Behavioral Science. Both have had over 150 hours of training in communication skills, drug and drug-related personal problems and alcohol related problems.

The center is in need of tables, chairs, lamps, games, books, etc. Anyone desiring to contribute any of the above items can call 635-5168 before December 27 or call the center's number 635-6181 after that date.

A public information meeting will be held January 8 at 5 p.m. in the Activity Room at the Public Grade School.

Dipping into Old Man Mose's Bucket -- Christmas, 1975!! I can hardly realize that this is the 84th Christmas season to be celebrated in my lifetime. Of course, I cannot remember all of them, but if memory serves me right, I was three years old when I can recall that my parents had decorated a large tree in the "parlor," replete with strings of popcorn and tinsel, various kinds of home made cookies, and candles set in special holders which had a receptacle at the bottom to catch the drippings. The tree was decorated by my mother and older sister in the locked room, where we were forbidden to enter until the magic hour of Christmas Eve. When we entered the room, the tree was fully lighted, and we were told that Santa Claus had brought the tree, together with a few simple gifts, such as a new cap, muffler, gloves and other wearing apparel, as well as a few inexpensive toys, a bag of candy and an orange and an apple or two. Our family was not among the must affluent in the community, as were most of those who depended on wages for their livelihood. In the late 1890s and early 1900s, wages were low, compared to the present, but it was evident then, as now, that Christmas was a special occasion, and preparations began months ahead for the event. Mother started right after Thanksgiving by baking special holiday goodies, including many varieties of cookies in special Christmas shapes, fruit cakes, and "schnitz brod," a bread which was made with honey, dried fruits and nuts, which the women of Swiss descent made according to recipes brought from the "old country."

Christmas, as I remember during my days at home, was of course the really big event of the year, overshadowing even the Fourth of July and Thanksgiving. Inasmuch as most of the family incomes were rather meagre, somehow or other the means were obtained to provide simple gifts for children, with a great feast on Christmas day, with relatives living on farms usually present as guests, and who brought in poultry, butter, eggs, etc., to help load the table with delicious foods.

Early on Christmas Eve, before the big tree was lighted, the children would be entertained at the various churches, where they would provide a program of recitations, songs, etc., ending with the arrival of Santa Claus, who distributed bags of candy, nuts and other goodies.

Yes, the spirit of Christmas was rife in the days seventy or eighty years ago. Nowadays it seems that Christmas is a time of exchanging of expensive gifts, the season starting with special sales and displays in the stores displaying their Christmas wares even before or right after Thanksgiving. It seems that the sacredness of the day has been forgotten, and not nearly as impressive as in my boyhood days.