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Santa letters, parade, tree lighting included

BY MERLE MONAHAN/CONTRIBUTING WRITER

merlemonah@aol.com

IVOR

Little boys and girls in the Ivor area now have a place to mail their letters to Santa Claus “First Class.” On the front porch of the Ivor Municipal Building, event planners of the town’s annual Christmas celebration have placed a mail box especially for Santa letters, which may be deposited anytime from now until Sunday, Dec. 8, the day of the Christmas celebration, said Mayor Tara Kea.

“And,” the mayor continued, “if the child includes with his or her letter a self-addressed, stamped return envelope, Santa will answer their letter!”

This is one of a few added attractions of the celebration this year, she said.

“We wanted to make the day as full as we could — you know, something for everyone.”

Kea noted that aside from the parade and Brunswick stew dinner, there will be vendors and craft booths set up at the end of the ball field.

“Things went so well at our 4th of July celebration, most of these venders wanted to come back,” the mayor said.

“So far we’ve booked about 20.” she added.

Kea said the day will start at 3 p.m., the same time as years before. Parade entrants must contact the clerk’s office at 859-6397, to sign up. Then, on the day of the parade, all entrants will meet at the Pines of Ivor by 2 p.m. to line up.

The route of the parade also will be the same as years past. Starting at the Pines, it will travel down Main Street, turn on Gayle Avenue, then onto Babb and Rawls Drive, ending at the Pines.

There is no charge to enter the parade, said town clerk Jaime Power, adding that there still is time and space for people to enter.

Leading the parade this year along with the mayor and Vice Mayor Tim Suhr, will be former mayor, Massey Joyner, as Grand Marshall. There is no word yet on whether or not Santa will be able get here.

After the parade, visitors are asked to assemble at the Municipal Building, where there will be live musical entertainment before and during dinner. Scheduled to perform are the Nottoway Elementary Chorus and local Bluegrass musician George Atkins and friends.

The Brunswick stew dinner will be served by the Ladies Auxiliary of the Ivor Rescue Squad around 5 p.m. said Kea. A charge for the dinners will be $5, while the stew will also be sold for $8 per quart.

All proceeds from the stew sales will go to the ladies auxiliary, Kea explained.

“We’re so lucky to have this organization,” she added. “Under the direction of their president, Jo Ann Joyner and her husband, Len. who helped all day cooking the stew, they’re always ready to help.”

Lighting of the Christmas tree will close the celebration after dinner.

Kea said there were a few changes this year because things seemed to work better.

“We changed the date from the first Sunday in December to the second Sunday because it was more convenient for everyone. Plus, the schools would be on break for Thanksgiving and wouldn’t be able to participate.

“We wanted to give people time to prepare — it takes time and sometimes a lot of effort to get ready.”

Asked who decided on Santa’s Mailbox, she grinned.

“Well, mine,” she said. “I happened to see one when I was shopping one day and thought how nice it would be for the children. But the cost was way more than we could afford. So I sort of put it aside.

“Then one day, I was talking to a friend who said, ‘You know, I’ve got this old mail

box in my garage and I don’t know what I could use it for. It would make a nice Christmas decoration.’

“My first thought was, ‘This is my lucky day!’”