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Is a school in Medway stealing Christmas? That's what some parents claim. The Medway Middle School ordered children not to sing any religious songs in Friday's holiday concert. Students were also told to refer to Christmas trees as magical trees. Red hats have also been banned. The move comes after two parents complained about references to Christmas in the program. The Superintendent Richard Grandmont told the Milford Daily News that the town is embracing diversity. But one parent said he's disturbed that students can't sing "We Wish You a Merry Christmas." Instead, they have to sing "We Wish You A...

The pendulum swings both ways. Last year in Denver, it was Mayor John Hickenlooper proposing to replace the city's traditional "Merry Christmas" sign with one that said "Happy Holidays." The mayor wisely backed off in response to the public outcry, as did the Parade of Lights, this year, reversing its policy barring religious floats. Earlier this month, Speaker of the U.S. House Dennis Hastert, issued a directive instructing the architect of the Capitol to drop the name "Capitol Holiday Tree" - adopted in the late 1990s under the authority of no one who's now willing to admit to it -...

Residents across the state are offering cash, tools and even cars to a Good Samaritan whose landscaping truck was stolen Tuesday while he rescued a family from their overturned vehicle on Highway 4. The Highway Patrol office in Martinez and the Times have fielded dozens of phone calls from people who want to help 30-year-old Nelson Santos replace his stolen truck and equipment. "Someone is offering him their (Toyota) 4Runner," said CHP Officer Scott Yox. "My phone hasn't stopped ringing today." Calls have come in from all over the Bay Area and as far away as San Diego. One man...

The Christmas grinch revisited ------------------------------------------------------- Posted: December 14, 2005 © 2005 WorldNetDaily.com By Burt Prelutzky Nothing that I have ever written has provoked as huge a response as a piece I wrote recently called "The Jewish grinch who stole Christmas." ( SEE HERE : http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=47775 ) In the article, which brought me roughly 10 times as much e-mail as I'm accustomed to, I suggested that my fellow Jews were at the forefront in waging war on the values and traditions of Christian Americans. Predictably enough, the response from gentiles was uniformly positive. The feedback from Jews was somewhat less positive,...

Employee's at the Lady Luck Casino and Hotel have run out of luck. From front desk clerks, to card dealers, 125 employees were terminated from their jobs on Monday and hundreds more will lose their jobs in the coming weeks. The Lady Luck casino says the terminations are necessary because of a massive remodeling and renovation project that will close the entire hotel and casino for at least one year. Dozens of employees were called together Monday morning to attend a mandatory meeting. Many of them left with their walking papers. At the meeting, 125 employees were told they were...

Washington-The ACLU named a new chairman today as it enter into its annual "war on small towns with limited budgets" season. The new chairman, former Congressman "The Grinch" (D-Mount Crumpit) pledged to continue the ACLU's attack on Christmas with renewed vigor. Reporters for the mainstream media and members of the ACLU teared up as he explained how he was marginalized by all the Whos down in Whoville who (selfishly and without regard for other viewpoints) dared to like Christmas a lot, because he did not. The Grinch pledged to move beyond manger scenes in the ACLU's, seeking to stamp...

San Francisco officials decided Wednesday to keep open a lot that has been used to sell Christmas trees during the holidays for the past 40 years. The five-member Board of Appeals unanimously voted to turn down resident Monio Pilpel's appeal of city permits that allow Cyril Hackett and his family to sell trees at the corner of Sloat Boulevard and 19th Avenue before Christmas. Hackett's popular lot is also transformed into a pumpkin patch around Halloween. The case drew an emotional standing-room crowd to City Hall, with most supporting Hackett's claim that the lot is a city "tradition." Hackett will...

SAN FRANCISCO -- City officials are set to decide tonight whether to shut down a lot that has been used to sell Christmas trees during the holidays for the past 40 years. The Board of Appeals, which meets at 5 p.m. at City Hall, will take up resident Monio Pilpel's appeal of city permits that allow Cyril Hackett and his family to sell trees at the corner of Sloat Boulevard and 19th Avenue before Christmas, and to transform the spot into a pumpkin patch around Halloween. Pilpel has complained that during the eight months of the year the lot isn't...

video low speed Video hi speed (WSBT) The Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation is finding itself in a Christmas controversy One grandmother says she was stunned to find out the district no longer uses the word Christmas to describe the holiday season. Instead, it uses “winter holiday” to describe the December break and other holiday activities. Now Vicki Metzger has started a petition drive to bring the word Christmas back to the schools. “I have many people signing this petition, because many people feel as I do,” Metzger told NEWS22. “These children have a right to celebrate Christmas and know what the...

In city halls and public parks across the country, stories-high evergreens are being erected and decked with glowing lights and sparkling ornaments. They look - and smell - like Christmas trees. But not so fast. In places as varied as Chicago, Reno and Prairie Village, Kan., they're "holiday" trees. In other spots, such as Atlanta, they have no name at all. This year, the tree-name game has sparked a backlash, with some Americans crying humbug and Christian groups threatening lawsuits over what they say is religious discrimination. Perhaps the most heated debate is brewing in Boston. The city's Parks and...

WHEELING, W.Va. (AP) -- City and county attorneys are defending Wheeling police who arrested a man for wearing a Grinch mask while walking along a city street. Norman Eugene Gray, 42, was arrested Tuesday. He was arraigned and released on a personal recognizance bond. Officers saw Gray about 8:45 a.m. Tuesday, told him to take the mask off and not put it on again. Gray removed it and asked why he could not wear it, according to Wheeling police reports. Officers told him wearing masks in public is illegal. Gray said he felt he had a right to wear it...

She calls herself "Satanta." And she's on a mission this holiday season to urge people to turn a blind eye to those glittering mall windows, to forget about making a wish list, to just say no to Hallmark and above all, to resist Christmas. While some people may think she's a Grinch, 36-year-old cartoonist and animator Nina Paley, mother of the Christmas Resistance Movement, says she actually used to be a devotee of the holiday. That is, until it let her down repeatedly. "I love the idea of Christmas," Paley said, speaking from her home in Brooklyn, New York, where...

I'm sitting here, with the wife and kids, being subjected to the festering sore of a movie that is the Ron Howard/Jim Carrey version of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas."Without a doubt, this is the worst Christmas movie of all time...worse than "Santa Claus Conquers the Martians"...worse than "Jingle all the Way"...in fact it's worse than all twenty-four hours of the twenty-four hour "Jingle All the Way" marathon on FX.This movie is the worst because it is terrible on many levels, small and large. First off, it is loud, noisy and deliberately disjointed in the way that too many written...

Are numerous other counties counting previously rejected ballots? No. Case made by Secretary of State and Democrats is wrong Seattle, WA – Washington Secretary of State Sam Reed and Democratic leadership have proclaimed that King County is not alone in counting numerous ballots that were previously rejected by county canvassing boards. However the claims are untrue. In Chelan and Thurston counties, each reconsidered one previously rejected ballot. “Two counties, two ballots,” said Washington State Republican Party Chair Chris Vance. “That’s it.” While King County is revisiting hundreds upon hundreds of ballots that were previously rejected – not once but twice...

Republican emotions were inflamed by party chairman Chris Vance, who blamed King County elections officials, democrats, and even those 700 plus voters for this situation. Once again, he demanded their votes not be counted, and left the door open for calling for a whole new election if they are. "If there's another outcome or another decision and questionable or illegal ballots are brought into the process, we reserve all of our options," he said. . . . Democrat candidate Chris Gregoire said voter trust will be eroded more by disqualifying legitimate ballots than correcting mistakes by elections officials and counting...

It’s appallingly looking NOT like Christmas Ev’rywhere you go: Leftists are at it once again, using their anchormen On a campaign to spread disdain you know. Yes, it’s that time of year again…when socialists, atheists, and malcontents (AKA – members of the ACLU and all who support the positions it advocates) get together to conspire – not necessarily by the fire, mind you – to spoil everybody’s good time. Let’s see what they’ve accomplished so far this Christmas season (yes, I said “Christmas” – sue me!): Federated Department Stores – you know, of Macy’s and Miracle on 34th Street fame...

CHICAGO -- A suburban school bus driver claims she was pulled from her route because she objected to an "anti-Christ" song listed in the school's holiday program. The Herald News reported Friday that Plainfield's Central School officials say the driver was taken off the route because she passed out unauthorized fliers along her route criticizing the program. Carmen Brown said she was reprimanded by the First Student Bus Company for handing out unapproved fliers she had made up encouraging people to boycott the school's holiday program because it included the song, "I Hate This Holiday." Brown, who has a son...

"So far, we have gotten calls from as far away as California from people wanting boots for the Inauguration," said Walter Pie, president of the Pinto Ranch Fine Western Wear, just down the road from where former President George Bush lives in Houston. "Especially from women." "The boots sell for between $1,000 and $3,000, with the all-alligator skin model going for $6,000." Indeed!! How can we as a Nation look ourselves in the mirror while plans are coming together to squander millions and millions of dollars -- both public and private -- on galas; parades; travel, meal, and lodging expenses;...

BELLEVUE -- The latest flare-up over Christmas trees in public places has longtime Bellevue chiropractor and resident Sidney Stock protesting the large tree standing in the lobby of City Hall. The tree is a symbol of Christianity, Stock and his wife, Jennifer, told City Council members this week. They said it is inappropriate to display symbols of any religion in a public place. Their objection follows a recent flap over Christmas trees at branch libraries in the King County Library System, which first banned trees then decided to allow them at the discretion of branch librarians. ``I think it's inappropriate,''...

CENSORING CHRISTMAS IN THE WORKPLACECatholic League president William Donohue commented today on attempts to censor Christmas in the workplace: “The University of Alabama’s Office of Cultural Diversity recommends that all nativity scenes should be banned because they are ‘religion-centered.’ The menorah, which is a Jewish religious symbol, is ‘fine’ because it is really a ‘secular’ symbol. Employees are also instructed to ‘avoid confronting others from different religions about their beliefs.’ Failure to do so may result in ‘unintentional oppression or hostilities.’ They actually said this.“An attorney at Strauss & Troy in Cincinnati warns that ‘if the workplace is permeated with...