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announced the Homecoming queen and
her court. During all this, our little band has been standing
patiently at attention on the other side of the field.
    “Then the announcer got on the PA. ‘ And
now, ladies and gentlemen, making their debut, your Newtonberg High
School Marching Band! ’ And the crowd just erupted. People were
on their feet, cheering. You couldn’t even hear the music. If those
kids played one note wrong, we didn’t know it. And the cheering
didn’t let up until they ended their routine and left the
field.
    “Well, the look on the faces of those kids
when they came off the field was priceless. They were exhausted.
They were crying. They were proud . They were
proud of themselves, and they were proud of the school and they
were proud of this community. And that’s something that money can’t
buy. Those kids came away that night with the greatest gift of all:
self-esteem.”
    At that, Cliff stood up, put the towel back
over his shoulder, and went back behind the bar. The regulars got
up, got their belongings together, took their glasses to the
counter and made their way toward the door. Rick Murchison paused
at the door, dumbfounded.
    “I don’t get it,” he finally said. “Who won
the game?”
    Cliff smiled and made his way toward the
door. “I don’t remember. And I doubt anyone else does. Oh, sure, it
was in the paper and someone could look it up if they wanted to.
But that wasn’t what was important that night. That night, for
once, it wasn’t about football. It wasn’t about who the better
quarterback was, or which team had the fastest runners. That night,
it was about the kids, not about the game. It was about pride. And
that’s what made it the greatest game.”
    And with that comment, Cliff turned off the
lights and locked the door.
     
     

 
     
CHRISTMAS IN NEWTONBERG

    The annual Newtonberg Christmas Festival is
held each December, usually on the second or third Saturday of the
month. The Festival has been held annually for over 40 years, since
the Widow Missus Harriet Johnson’s late husband spearheaded the
campaign for it when he was on the city council.
    It starts with a parade beginning at John and
Joanna Swensen’s Café that makes its way through town and ends at
the High School football field, where there is a carnival set up.
There are games, craft booths, and plenty of other activities for
the kids. Afterwards, there is a dessert auction at the Café, with
the proceeds being divided between the youth groups at the three
local churches. And of course, a traditional Santa’s Workshop is
set up where the kids can meets Santa Claus and have their picture
taken.
    It’s a well-known fact among the adults in
town that Mayor Al is Santa Claus, and has been since he took
office over twenty years ago. Al and his wife, Miss Gladys, have
always loved children. Since the Lord never blessed them with their
own, they have been surrogate parents/grandparents to just about
every kid in Newtonberg, and Al wouldn’t have it any other way.
    This year, however, was different. It was Al
and Gladys’ fiftieth anniversary. Al had finally managed to take
her on the skiing holiday she’s always wanted, and they were going
to be out of town for the Festival. He appointed Rick Murchison as
Mayor pro tem, and the Widow Missus agreed to find a replacement
Santa for the festivities.
    While it was the first time for Al and Gladys
to miss it, it was a real homecoming for several other people. For
one thing, it would be the first time little Philip Kelly would
visit the Festival. His mother, Emily, was bringing him to
Newtonberg to see Santa and spend a little time with his uncle and
grandmother.
     
    * * * * * * * *
     
    The Festival is nothing if not
well-organized. After 40 years, the Widow Missus has it down to a
science. There are people in town that have been involved almost as
long as the Widow Missus, and each year they take charge of their
own little part of it. Cliff Magnuson organizes