Rockport's oldest tradition needs help to continue

At 10:30 a.m. Christmas morning, Santa will arrive in Dock Square by horse-drawn carriage and give all the town's children a bag of candy, fruit, and goodies in the same tradition of the 1890s.

Santa's helpers will be meeting at Spiran Hall at 7 p.m. on Dec. 22 to pack the bags and baskets.

Then, on Christmas morning, volunteers are welcome to meet at Spiran Hall at 8:30 a.m. to deliver baskets to members of the Rockport community 80-years of age and older, shut-ins, residents with illnesses, and others who are remembered on Christmas Day with the delivery of a fruit basket and cookies.

Started in the early 1890s by Rockport grocer Tim Sheehan, the tradition of remembrance is carried on today by the Rockport Christmas Tree Committee. Now in its 112th year, organizers say this is Rockport's oldest ongoing tradition.

Residents of area housing, nursing homes, and local hospitals receive a visit in the days before Christmas. Santa Claus himself visits residents of the Den-Mar Rehabilitation and Nursing Center and presents each with a small basket of fruit and other goodies.

The committee is in need of the community's help to continue this tradition as it relies solely on volunteers and donations. Donations may be mailed to the Rockport Christmas Tree Committee, care of Doreen Carter, 2 Mary Helen Way, Rockport or dropped off at any Rockport National Bank location or Smith Ace Hardware.

Any residents who know of a neighbor or friend who should receive a basket are encouraged to tell a committee member. Committee members are Carter, Jay Smith, Bud Woods, Kirstie Ludwig, Gary and Faye Anderson, Nikole Gale, Lisa Littlefield, Judy Harris, Mary Helen MacLeod, Linda Johnson, Janice Ramsden, April Beaton, Sally Frithsen, Ruth George, Andrea Ritchie, Wanda Visnick, Lary Salo and John Thompson.

Residents can also leave a note with name and address at the lumber desk at Smith Ace Hardware.

Online donations through Paypal can be made at www.rockportchristmastree.org. Donations are tax deductible.

Stockings were hung in the library with care

In celebration of the Christmas season, a new 'stocking' exhibit at Rockport Public Library includes more than 65 pairs of handmade, machine-made, and printed stockings.

From adult and children stockings, to stockings tailored for babies and dolls, and even stockings worn during weddings and for sports — they're all represented in mint condition.

The special section for wedding stockings features handmade stockings worn by Daniel Webster on his wedding day. They were purchased from the New Hampshire estate of Declaration of Independence signer Dr. Josiah Bartlett.

"I wanted to have the exhibit in collaboration with the Christmas season because of the ritual of having stockings hung on the mantels of homes during this seasonal celebration," stocking exhibit organizer Elizabeth Enfield said.

Quick hits

Toad Hall Bookstore will host a special "Get a Gift, Give A Gift" fundraiser on Wednesday, Dec. 15, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Ten percent of all purchases that day will be donated to the Rockport PTO. A wide selection of books for all ages, CDs, calendars, and more will be available along with personal service provided by Toad Hall's knowledgeable staff. Plus, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., shoppers can enjoy the musical entertainment of Rockport's Polygroove Orchestra, featuring Alex Caffi on drums, Erik Lees on bass, Robin Lovell on keyboards, Alek Razdan on tenor sax, and Evan Razdan on trumpet.

The Toad Hall Book Club will not apply to purchases on the day of the fundraiser. For more information, call the store at 978-546-7323.

SeniorCare will be providing the traveling chef on Dec. 15, at 11:30 a.m., with a pasta bar special at the Rockport Senior Center, located at 4 Broadway. To place your reservation, call 978-546-7061.

The Rockport Council on Aging together with SeniorCare will be hosting a holiday luncheon on Thursday, Dec. 16, at 11:30 a.m. The cost is $6 and the menu is stuffed chicken, potatoes, vegetables, and a dessert. Musical entertainment will also be provided. To place a reservation, call 978-546-2573.

People in the news

Celebrating 79 years of singing choral music on the North Shore, Chorus North Shore presents its annual holiday concert "Christmas Magic" under the direction of Sonja Dahlgren Pryor with two performances slated for tonight and tomorrow.

The 130-member chorus, joined by the Honors Youth Choir and the Festival Orchestra, will perform "Magnificat" by John Rutter, "A Musicological Journey Through the 12 Days of Christmas," and Swedish and Finnish songs of the season. The concert concludes with the chorus' long tradition of singing carols with the audience.

Tonight's concert is scheduled to begin at 8, at Our Lady of Hope Church, Linebrook Road, Ipswich. Tomorrow's performance begins at 3 p.m. at Christ Church, Asbury Street, South Hamilton.

Emily Dailey, Katherine Maddox, Carly Moulton, Coalter Palmer, Sophie Palmer, and Whitney Schrock from Rockport are members of the Honors Youth Choir which is supported by Chorus North Shore and will be performing this weekend.

Tickets are available online at www.chorusnorthshore.org or at the door. General Admission is $20, while seniors and students are $17, and children 12 and younger are free.

The chorus' newly released CD, "A North Shore Christmas," which features many of the most popular songs performed over the years, will be available for sale at the concerts.

Rockport Ramblings is compiled each week by reporter Jonathan L'Ecuyer. If you have a news tip or an item for Ramblings, contact L'Ecuyer at 978-283-7000 x3451, or jlecuyer@gloucestertimes.com.

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