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I don’t know why I kept it in the first place, or even how it fell into my hands, but one of the things that I haul out every Christmas season, along with the tree lights and decorations, wreaths for the door, and an old nativity set, is the December 23, 1950, edition of Collier’s magazine.
The covers barely cling to frayed pages and, just like me (I was six years old in 1950), it’s beginning to show its age. But I’ve kept it as a reminder of the simpler Christmases we celebrated when I was a boy, and of things that still are the essence of the season for me.
It was published in a time when Christmas goods didn’t appear on store shelves until after Thanksgiving, the five and dime on Main Street was still the place to shop, Bing Crosby crooned on the radio, and Hollywood had yet to decide that Christmas was the day to lure everyone into theaters to watch things get blown up. Even then some of the magazine’s readers worried about changing things just for the sake of change. A letter to the editor, for example, complained about the “new look in telephone booths.”
The front cover is a traditional scene: Carolers singing in front of a big, decorated tree on a snowy, small-town square. People are bustling by, carrying packages and, just in the upper right-hand corner, a bright star that could be the star of Bethlehem.
In a far cry from this year, one of the first pages is an insurance company ad headlined, “Don’t give a cold a chance.” It urges people to guard against “the chief health hazard of winter.” Right next to it another full-page ad recommended Kleenex, “your best buy in tissues,” if you should catch a cold.
Inside the 15-cent magazine are stories that I’ve read and re-read for many Christmases, most of them about people of short means and long hope and how the miracle of Christmas worked in their lives — a tree decorated in the forest for a family that couldn’t afford one, a grouch who is given the Christmas spirit by a little girl, a little boy trying to stay awake long enough to see Santa. I liked the stories as a boy and still like them today. They are simple stories, simply told: Just as is the important story of Christmas itself.
But, if the old magazine gives an idealized vision of a childlike Christmas in its stories (yes, Virginia, “Yes, Virginia” is there), most of its advertisements are certainly for grown-ups.
The back cover has one of those famous ads featuring a rotund, cherubic Santa downing a Coca Cola. But in the page just before it Miller High Life suggested beer was a better Christmas drink. In fact, two-thirds of the advertising is for cigarettes or booze.
A carton of Fatimas, “best of all long cigarettes,” would surely make the holiday brighter. Santa holds a cigarette well away from his flowing beard as he tells us that Pall Malls are mild and “Guard Against Throat-Scratch.” Another ad suggests you try a Kaywoodie Pipe and “feel at home anywhere.” In an ad designed to appeal to all ages, a toddler proclaims, “My Dad would never smoke anything but Marlboro,” which had no filter then.
A liquor ad asks: “Wouldn’t you rather give (and get) Four Roses?” Calvert Reserve’s ad promises “your own good taste will tell you, it’s smart to give and serve.” Seagram’s Seven “says Merry Christmas in a special way.” Fleischmann’s Preferred was the blended whiskey offering “quality at a winning price.” Corby’s advertised its “Christmas Remembrance Bottle” as the perfect gift for postman, delivery man, service station attendant, and as a great bottle to swap with the milkman. Kentucky Tavern offered a gift package at no extra charge. Harwood’s Canadian proclaimed itself “one gift no one will exchange.”
Having never savored Harwood’s Canadian or smoked a Kaywoodie, I don’t know whether their slogans are true, but I do know that the simple Christmas messages, even in the ads, reverberate with me still.
The old magazine helps bring back the idea of Christmas as viewed through the innocent eyes of a six-year-old, and I like that. One of the enduring pleasures of Christmas is that it is a season when old men can catch the Christmas spirit, can remember and recapture a wee part of those bygone days.
William Saroyan wrote that, when he said “Merry Christmas,” he wanted it “to mean what it means. Not just words under a picture or card, dropped in the mailbox on the corner, or handing you something wrapped up in red paper which I have bought. I want it to say what it says — the way a child says it.”
That goes for me, too, as I wish a Merry Christmas to all.
A collection of Jim Bradshaw’s columns, Cajuns and Other Characters, is now available from Pelican Publishing. You can contact him at jimbradshaw4321@gmail.com or P.O. Box 1121, Washington LA 70589.

DAVID JACOBS, THE CENTER SQUARE

Gov. John Bel Edwards on Tuesday said he would not change any of the regulations currently in place to control the spread of COVID-19, keeping the state in a modified version of “Phase 2” of the White House-approved mandates for three additional weeks.
The staged rollout of COVID-19 vaccines brings hope that the pandemic will end at some point next year. But Louisiana remains in a precarious situation as the death toll and number of people who are hospitalized continues to climb, officials said while urging residents not to hold large holiday gatherings with people from different households.
“We’re too close to the finish line to make mistakes now, mistakes that are permanent and can’t be undone,” Edwards said.
Restaurants, gyms, barbers, salons, theaters and most retail businesses will continue to be limited to half of their normal indoor capacity. Places of worship will remain at a maximum of 75 percent of their capacity or the number of people who can physically distance with at least six feet between each immediate household.
For bars in parishes where the positivity rate (the proportion of COVID-19 tests that come back positive) is above 5 percent, barrooms are closed to indoor sales and consumption but can still serve up to 50 people outside. Indoor gatherings at event centers and sporting events are limited to 25 percent capacity, while outdoor gatherings where maintaining physical distance is not possible are limited to 25% capacity or up to 150 individuals.
At last count, there were 1,647 patients with COVID-19 in Louisiana hospitals, which is higher than the peak of the state’s second surge during the summer, and the number of hospitalizations was growing in six of the state’s nine regions. However, the rate of hospitalization growth has slowed in recent days, and the statewide positivity rate has fallen from 10.2 percent to 9.3 percent, officials said.
At least 6,813 Louisianans with COVID-19 have died since the beginning of the pandemic, state officials say. Almost 291,000 cases have been identified, and officials believe almost 233,000 of those people had recovered as of Dec. 14.
“The vaccine is the off-ramp,” Dr. Joseph Kanter with the Louisiana Department of Health said. “It’s how we get out of this pandemic.”
LDH has begun posting vaccination information on its public COVID-19 dashboard. Louisiana received 28,275 vaccines this week, down from the 40,000 state officials initially were told to expect.
Hospital workers and residents and employees of nursing homes and assisted living facilities are first in line, based on federal guidance. People older than 74 and certain “frontline” workers, such as teachers and emergency responders, are in the next group.
Edwards said Louisiana largely will continue to follow federal recommendations for vaccine prioritization, though there may be small deviations based on state-specific factors. People who rely on dialysis will be "very close to the top" of the list, he said.

January 06, 1943 ~ December 21, 2020

ABBEVILLE — A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 AM on Wednesday, December 23, 2020 at St. John Church in Henry honoring the life of Madeleine Ann Delino 77, who passed away Monday, December 21, 2020. She will be laid to rest at Bancker Cemetery with Reverend Emmanuel Fernandez officiating the services. Pallbearers will be David Delino, Bart Delino, Bailey Meaux, Draik Delino, Bryce Hebert, Jake Delino, Taylor Jett, and Mason Meaux.
Madeleine was a 1960 graduate of Henry High School and graduated from McNeese State University in 1965. Upon graduating college, she taught at Breaux Bridge High School before being accepted as a teacher for the Department of Defense, where she taught one year in Norway, four years in the Philippines, and three years in Japan. She then returned home and finished her career at the Gulf Area Vocational Technical School in Abbeville.
During her overseas career, she visited 34 different countries along with traveling and camping throughout the United States and Canada.
She enjoyed animals, flowers, working in her yard, and many crafts. For Madeleine, Christ and family always came first. Never having children of her own, she was known as Nanny Madeleine to numerous nieces and nephews whom she worshiped as they grew up. She was also a member of St. John Ladies Altar society.
She is survived by two brothers, Val J. Delino and his companion, Gloria Desormeaux of Abbeville, and Samuel C. Delino and his wife Jeanelle of Henry; 11 nieces and nephews; and 25 great nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Thomas B. Delino, Jr. and Lorena Choate Delino; and a brother, Derryl W. Delino.
The family requests that visiting hours be observed at Vincent Funeral Home - Abbeville, 209 S. St. Charles St., on Tuesday, December 22, 2020 from 4:00 PM until 9:00 PM. A rosary will be prayed at 6:30 PM; Wednesday, December 23, 2020 from 8:00 AM until 10:30 AM when the procession will depart for church.
The family would like to extend a special thank you to Hope Hospice of Lafayette and all their staff who were absolutely wonderful. To Father Emmanuel Fernandez for his heartfelt visits, and her classmate and special friend Lois Primeaux Leleux.
Condolences may be sent to the family at www.vincentfuneralhome.net.
All funeral arrangements are being conducted by Vincent Funeral Home of Abbeville, (337) 893-4661.

In the near future, there will be a few Sheriff’s Office patrol cars around the old post office in downtown Abbeville. Do not panic because it is only the Sheriff’s Office training in the old building.
Six years ago, Abbeville’s N. R. Broussard donated the old post office building to the public school system with hopes the school system could convert the building into something useful.
Former superintendent Jerome Puyau had hopes of updating the building and changing it into a virtual school. But because of the cost, that never happened. At one time, some school board members wanted to try and sell the building.
Since the donation by Broussard, the building has only been used by law enforcement training.
Now, the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office approached the school board and wants to use the building full-time to train its deputies.
Justin Merrit, the school board attorney, informed the board members at Thursday’s meeting of Sheriff Mike Couvillon’s plans.
Merrit told the board members that the Sheriff deputy’s training in the building would benefit the school system.
“It is an active shooter like training,” said Merrit. “They can make it look like a school. They can move walls around. It is a good use.”
The Sheriff’s Office will also pay the utility bills for the old post building, which has been paid for by the school board for the last six years. It will save the school board $11,000 a year.
The sheriff’s office will also have insurance in case an accident occurs while in the building.
The school board approved the agreement to let the sheriff’s office use the building.
The school board members also learned that if the school board wanted to sell the building, it would give the sheriff’s office a 90-day notice.
“Sheriff Couvillon would like to thank Superintendent Tommy Byler and the Vermilion Parish School Board for their assistance in the past use of the old Post Office, and the future agreement between his department and the School Board for its continued use,” said Captain Drew David
“Our SRT unit (Special Reaction Team) continually trains for the worst case scenarios. By having this building at our disposal it is allowing the SRT unit, along with the entire Sheriff’s Office more opportunities to train for Active Shooter situations in our schools, or within the parish,” said Captain David
“Our response to such situations, especially in our schools saves lives. We are in the process of building a shoot house which mimics hallway and classroom deployment. We are also building portable walls which will allow us to imitate the exact layout of school, rooms, buildings or houses. We can never allow ourselves to become complacent in the world today, especially when the safety of our children and teachers are at stake,” said Captain David.