Wow, the days fly by this time of year as fast as Santa and his trusted reindeer can get from one rooftop to another. As I traveled around in the snow-covered brilliance of the great place we call home, the perfect song was playing on the radio: Dean Martin’s “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.” As always, however, as soon as we get on the other side of Christmas, I will be counting the days till spring training.

My goal for the rest of the year is to stay on everyone’s nice list. So, like I do every year, I’ll be skipping the political commentary until 2026. Only all the happenings, joy, and hopefully peace will be found as we celebrate Christmas. This is made easy for me because I only have a couple more columns left in December. Just a heads-up: there will be no Webb Weekly published on 12/31. Our year’s last issue, 12/24, will feature Christmas, New Year’s, and our charity pages. Our first issue of 2026 will be on January 7th.

It’s a joyful but hectic time inside our Webb Weekly office. Editor Steph’s got those elves on loan from the North Pole again to help with the Blaise Alexander Family Dealership’s Christmas Coloring Contest. They go by the names Twinkle Sugarsocks, Merry Peppermintwhirl, and Sprinkle Icicletoes. As always, they seem to be beneath my feet wherever I go. I just call them Twinkle, Merry, and Sprinkle for short, usually accompanied by a few choice words.

Thank you to Blaise and his family for their involvement and for being the main sponsor of the coloring contest since it began 20 years ago. The effort and artwork the children from ages 0 to 10 provide amazes me every year. The artistic skills go way beyond crayons as they use many other art supplies to make their work sparkle.

A reminder to all parents, grandparents, and caregivers, all entries must arrive by December 17th so those goofy elves can judge the kiddos’ work. All winners will be announced in the December 24th edition. Ten children will win prizes in each age category. Complete details can be found on page 20. Good luck to all, they are all winners on my list.

That gets me to one of Santa’s other helpers in the office. Jaimie always greets you with a smile when you come through our door on the South Side. Please help her keep that smile, as her arms are getting tired from ringing the bell for the Salvation Army Red Kettle Remembrance we do every year.

She has a Christmas mug full of candy for you if you bring your donation to 280 Kane Street, Suite 2, South Williamsport. If you choose to mail it in, please mark the envelope “Remembering Dave.” Complete details can be found in my column from last week, “A Ringing Remembrance of Dave’s Christmas Spirit.” And yes, my staff and I are again doubling your kindness. Thank you and Merry Christmas.

Another great way to help the Salvation Army is through their Annual Festival of Trees, which has been featured on our cover and within our pages for more years than I can remember. A tip of my Webb Weekly cap with the American flag on the side to local auctioneer Mike Roan, who takes care of the business end of the event. Please remember this year’s Festival of Trees will be held at the Genetti Hotel in Downtown Williamsport.

I’ll finish out this week’s column with a reminder to all the hunters out there. Our 18th Annual Uncle Ron’s Monster Buck Contest is in full swing and runs right on through to the end of the second season.

I’ve heard of some amazing bucks being harvested by local hunters. As I always remind you, a trophy is in the hands of the holder, and any buck will get you registered to have a shot in our random rifle drawing courtesy of Sauers Trading. The monster buck for the season wins a free shoulder mount courtesy of Poust Taxidermy outside of Jersey Shore. Second through fourth place winners receive a $100 venison processing gift card from Stoltzfus Butcher in Mill Hall. Your trophy can be registered for initial scoring at both Poust Taxidermy and Sauers Trading. Let’s all be safe out there as we enjoy the great tradition of hunting in Penn’s Woods.

Be extra careful as you’re traveling the highways in our local area. The weather made for some interesting driving this past week, and we all witnessed drivers who should be on the naughty list. I’ll probably be writing the same thing when baseball season is in full swing, minus the snow and ice, of course. Please keep your eyes on the road and distractions to a minimum.

God Bless America.