And a Ho, Ho, Ho to you, too. Yep, I might also say Happy Holidays or Best of the Season or Happy Hannakah, or just enjoy the season. But regardless of what I might say, the message is always the same - to wish you a healthy, joyful, close-knit family Christmas.
Unfortunately, there are those people who are convinced "the powers that be" are attempting to take Christ out of Christmas.
They may also be the same ones who scream loudest that "God is being taken out of the classroom."
We would suggest they lighten up and enjoy all the good things that come with our heritage - freedom of speech and a wonderful social network that is envied by our neighbours to the south. So, if you feel like wishing me "a happy holiday" I know what you mean - that you truly care about me and are wishing me good health, joy and happiness.
In preparing for this column, we sought out some background on the local sports scene to discover that the past few months have, overall, been successful, both for the Tantramar Titans and Mount Allison Mounties teams. With the possible exception of the football Mounties the picture has been positive, with potential for ongoing success.
So, for coach Kelly Jeffrey we would ask the man in the red suit and white whiskers to kindly fill the coach's closet with as many as three clones of Jacob LeBlanc and a quartet of Donovan Saunders. Obviously, there are few to match Gary Ross, Eric Lapointe or Grant Keany, so some solid and powerful linemen to open holes for normal running backs should fill the bill. With the talented Adam Molnar graduating it would be most helpful if Troy Trentham could take the next step to stardom.
Over at Tantramar, Scott O'Neal took his Titans to an outstanding season, coming within a single point of winning the provincial championship. The team is now listed on the honorable mention list of top high school teams in the nation.
For him and his coaching staff, we would put in an order for two Michael Bohans. One almost pulled it off in 2011 so just think what two might deliver.
Continuing at Tantramar, coach Don McCormack has some outstanding athletes who have run off five consecutive wins in the AA Northeast Basketball Conference, won the Bluefield Tournament in Charlottetown and fell to 1-2 in their own tournament. Santa might provide some better hands for the players and sufficient time for the coach to install his own systems. It doesn't look like he will need too much to go to the finals.
Mark Bohan has his ladies team off to a 2-0 league mark and they boast championships at both Bluefield and at home and lost in the semi-finals at the Amherst tourney. With Katie Cadman being perhaps the best shooter since Jenna Kay it doesn't seem that much help from Santa will be necessary.
Both basketball teams are now competing at the AA level but the hockey teams, due to a number of factors, are in the AAA league and at the time of writing the men have a 2-5 league record but have posted nearly a dozen victories with a championship in St. Stephen and being a finalist at the Miramichi event.
The women's team, with Cory Higgins in command, have a 2-4-2 record and also went to the semi-finals in their own tournament. All the Titan units are dominated by youth with an abundance of kids in Grade 9 and 10, so the future looks rosy.
In other Titan challenges, Nev Garrity led the women's soccer team to a 6-2 record before losing a close semi-final match, while the boys went 2-3-1, both competing at the AAA level.
And this is from a school with 475 students. Administrators, coaches and athletes deserve more than just a Merry Christmas for the outstanding efforts all must exert.
It is interesting on campus where all their winter sports teams are on the winning side. With a 5-4-2 record, the women's hockey team is poised to enter the playoffs on a roll as they already hold a win over the nationally-ranked Moncton team and are within a goal of two of the perennial champion St. F. X. S-Women. All coach Zach Ball asks for are a few good breaks as he leads the strongest Mountie team ever.
After early struggles, the men's basketball team has moved into fifth spot with a 4-3 record and the women are in third at 5-2.
The volleyball team stands fourth with four victories and three losses. The cross country team is in a class by itself after easily sweeping each meet; the badminton team annually wins the championship; the swim Mounties have a handful of national level performers.
So there aren't too many gifts we could seriously ask from Santa for the high school and university teams, as all seem to be doing well. But Pierre Arsenault would look great in something other than an antiquated athletic centre - one that is more than 50 years old and needs to be replaced without delay.
We would ask Santa to help finalize efforts to build a lasting legacy to Bob Edgett in the form of a decent clubhouse to replace the "shack" on York Street.
It would also be a bonus if Sackville could form and support both a senior hockey and baseball team - after all there are great minor programs for each - but it seems that the graduates develop other interests.
And then, Santa, we would plead that you provide this community with a true visionary - a man or woman who will be capable of leading Sackville during what could be turbulent times as the provincial government introduces huge changes the community act. This could result in huge tracts of current suburban areas becoming part of the town, not unlike the decision in 1975 when 13 miles of streets quickly reached more than 80.
Santa, if you might encourage more volunteerism it would be appreciated. Sackville has more organizations per capita than any that we know of and they are successful only due to the outpouring of support by these volunteers.
Looking back at Mount Allison for a moment, the student body is to be thanked and congratulated for its generosity, not only in supporting such projects as the local Habitat for Humanity but for the huge number of volunteers involved in such things as nursing homes, schools, hospitals and support groups.
We must not forget the man who calls the shot on campus - Robert Campbell. We would suggest Santa that you provide him with some stickhandling lessons by his Lady Mounties.
But, of course, we ask this as a goodwill gesture to a man who has, at times, found himself in a Catch 22 situation.
And so as we reach a conclusion, we would extend our most sincere Merry Christmas to all readers of The Write Call.
Also, it is only with the support and encouragement of the staff of the Tribune-Post - editor Scott Doherty, reporter Katie Tower, advertising representative Susan Coish and administrative assistant Tanya Austin - that this column comes to life.
