BRANCH BULLETIN - eNews from the City of Farmers Branch
City Facilities CLOSED December 24 & 25   |   No Garbage Pickup
Memo from the MANAGER

Virginia, revisited

   

   It's time to update a very old story.

   In 1897, an eight-year-old girl wrote a letter to a newspaper to ask for the truth about Santa Claus.
   The Sun, being a prominent New York paper at the time, was a trusted source for news and information. It's lead editorial writer was a Civil War veteran named Francis P. Church.
Gary 2013
   It would have been very easy for Mr. Church to glance over Virginia O'Hanlon's letter or pass it off to someone else. 
   But, he didn't.
   He took the time to craft a response that still echoes today as the best, possibly ever, explanation of the magic of Christmas.
   His answer was, of course, "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus."
   But, you already knew that.
   So, rather than retelling that story, I'd like to look at what happened to the two main players after The Sun ran that historic editorial.
   Frank Church was the son of a minister and grandson of a veteran of the American Revolution. He graduated from Columbia College (now University) and was a war correspondent during the Civil War. He and his brother founded Galaxy, a literary magazine that took contributions from the likes of Mark Twain and Henry James. 
   Francis P. Church died in 1906 at the age of 67 and is buried in New York state's Sleepy Hollow Cemetery (yes, that Sleepy Hollow).
   And although Mr. Church never had children of his own, with his editorial response to Virginia, he is forever embedded in the very fabric of American Christmas tradition.
Santa & Mrs. Claus
   Eight-year-old Virginia O'Hanlon marked The Sun editorial as an influential turning point in her life. She went on to earn a Bachelor's degree from Hunter College in 1910, a Master's from Columbia University in 1912 and her Doctorate from Fordham. She became a teacher in the New York City public school system in 1912 and served the children of her city until her retirement, 47 years later. 
   Virginia died in 1971 at the age of 81, and always credited Frank Church and his "beautiful" words as shaping the direction of her life.
   Tonight, there are Virginias going to bed all over this country, with the wide-eyed anticipation of the coming of the "right jolly old elf" and what the gift of Christmas will bring tomorrow morning.
   It may not be an editorial, but, sometimes, all it takes are "beautiful words" of love, caring, affirmation and faith to change the direction of a child's life. It changed Virginia's.
   From my family to yours, Merry Christmas. 

To contact Gary, click on his picture 

Tour of LIGHTS

Tour of Lights takes a break Christmas night; reopens Friday

FARMERS BRANCH ~ The more-popular-than-ever Farmers Branch Christmas Tour of Lights will be open Christmas Eve but will take a break Thursday night so everyone involved can enjoy Christmas Day with their families.
   However, the lights will be on again December 26 through closing night, December 30.
   Benefitting from enhanced visibility from the freeway, good weather and better publicity, the Tour is in the midst of its most popular year yet, with traffic up approximately 87 percent, compared to the same days of operation last year. 
   Orchestrated by the Farmers Branch Parks and Recreation Department, the Tour of Lights is very different this year with a new route and with a new, synchronized light show inside the Farmers Branch Historical Park.   
   Even the GuideLive section of The Dallas Morning News included the Farmers Branch Tour of Lights as one of its Top 10 places to see lights this holiday season. 
   The new route for the driving tour still begins at I-35E and Valley View Lane, but then takes a right turn onto Denton Drive before winding through the Historical Park and the synchronized show.
   Open from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., the Tour is free with donations accepted by the non-profits working the event each evening. 
PARTING Shot

Shy for Santa

Some guests were a bit more wistful about their encounters with the 'Jolly Ol' Elf' at the Community Recreation Center's "Olaffles with Santa" event, a "Frozen"-themed take on their annual Flapjacks with Santa breakfast held every year.

 

Volume 4 | Edition 51 | Number 200  
Branch Bulletin
is published weekly by the  Communications Office
of the City of Farmers Branch, TX.
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Excellence in E-Newsletters in Texas
 
Awarded by the
Texas Association of Municipal Information Officers 
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Branch BRIEFS
City offices to close for holidays

FARMERS BRANCH ~ All City of Farmers Branch offices and facilities will be closed Wednesday, December 24 and Thursday, December 25 in observance of the Christmas holiday. 
   There will be no garbage collection on either day and the Citizen Collection Center will be closed.
   The following week, offices will again be closed on Thursday January 1 to observe the New Year's holiday. Likewise, there will be no garbage collection and the Citizen Collection Center will be closed.

Branch Bulletin marks 200 editions

 

FARMERS BRANCH ~ Produced each and every week since March 5, 2011, the Christmas Eve edition of Branch Bulletin, the City of Farmers Branch weekly e-newsletter, has recorded its 200th edition.
   Produced by the Communications Office, in association with all City departments, Branch Bulletin features regular news and information about City of Farmers Branch upcoming events and activities along with a  weekly message from City Manager Gary D. Greer. 
   Subscriptions are free and available to anyone with an email address.

Police looking out for last minute package thieves

 

FARMERS BRANCH ~ With last minute Christmas deliveries making the rounds,
Farmers Branch Police are asking residents to be on the lookout for thieves targeting packages left on residential doorsteps.
   Police said it is always preferable to have packages delivered to a location where someone can take possession of them, like an office. Most online vendors will allow delivery to an address other than the billing address of the customer.
   Anyone with knowledge of these incidents or any like them are asked to call Farmers Branch Police at 972.484.3620.

Video GREETINGS
Download a Video Christmas Card from the City of Farmers Branch
Download a 
'Season's Greeting' from
the City of Farmers Branch

Upcoming DATES
DEC 24
CHRISTMAS EVE
All City Offices Closed
No Garbage Collection

DEC 25
CHRISTMAS DAY
All City Offices Closed
No Garbage Collection

Thru DEC 30
CHRISTMAS TOUR OF LIGHTS
Not open Dec 25
972.919.1433

JAN 1
NEW YEAR'S DAY
All City Offices Closed
No Garbage Collection
972.247.3131
farmersbranchtx.gov 

All events & meetings are subject to change. Call listed numbers or 972.247.3131 for verification or more information.
IN the BANNER
The City's official Christmas Tree lights the night in the Historical Park meadow as part of the Christmas Tour of Lights, driving tour.
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About the City of Farmers Branch Farmers Branch Logo
An historic community in the geographic center of the DFW Metroplex, Farmers Branch boasts a residential population of 28,800 and a daytime employment population of 66,000. Located on the northwest border of the City of Dallas, the City's 27 parks and lush greenbelts feature nationally-acclaimed, award-winning soccer fields, football facilities as well as baseball and softball complexes. The city's location in the center of the Metroplex and only 15 minutes away from both DFW Airport and Love Field, along with the 2,200 hotel rooms within the city, make Farmers Branch an ideal location for residents and for business. For more information on the City of Farmers Branch, visit  lovethebranch.com or call 972.247.3131.