Story time, crafts for children set for Saturday in Marysville

Dec. 2—Holiday magic is around the corner and this year marks the 20th annual Kid's Christmas Craft and Storytime event that will be held before the Marysville Christmas Parade at 3rd Street and D Street Park on Saturday.

The event will begin at 3 p.m. with a story time presented by organizer Sue Cejner-Moyers. After the story time, children will have an opportunity to decorate a horseshoe, decorate a sugar cookie and write a letter to Santa. The event is sponsored by Yuba Sutter Arts & Culture, the Mary Aaron Museum and the city of Marysville. Kids will also be receiving a red bandana to coincide with the western theme of the parade, Holiday Ho-Ho-Ho Down.

Cejner-Moyers will be narrating a local Christmas story that she composed about the Flying U Rodeo and Cotton Rosser, who is the grand marshal for the Marysville Christmas Parade. Rosser is a known figure in the Marysville area and owner of the Flying U Rodeo company, one of the oldest and most successful stock contracting companies in professional rodeo. Cejner-Moyers said the interactive and short story, called "A Country Cow's Christmas Wish," is about a Christmas wish in the spirit of the holidays but contains an original local narrative about the history of the community. Cejner-Moyers will be narrating the story through images and flashcards.

Cejner-Moyers said she loves to share history and the stories of the Yuba-Sutter area. According to Cejner-Moyers, she is a fifth generation resident of Yuba County and her past descendents bought land from John Sutter, a pioneer settler in California known due to the discovery of gold on his land in 1848 which precipitated the California Gold Rush.

Cejner-Moyers also remembers living through the 1955 flood during Christmas as a child but specifically how different organizations would bring Christmas joy to families even when people had lost their homes. She remembers receiving a Christmas gift from the three musketeer characters and ever since then she has wanted to bring Christmas joy to children and families.

"It's important for kids to have magic during Christmas time," said Cejner-Moyers.

After story time and crafts, kids will also have an opportunity to take a photo with Santa and give a letter they personally wrote for him. Santa plans to give a phone call to all children who write a letter to him. Cejner-Moyers said kids are able to send a letter to Santa through a mailbox located on E Street and Seventh Street in Marysville through Dec. 23. If the letter contains a phone number, Santa will give a personal call.

"It's real magic when they get a call," said Cejner-Moyers.

Cejner-Moyers said she usually has around 20 volunteers who help make calls to children as Santa. Cejner-Moyers tries to get city officials involved or community leaders to help make the calls out to children. Cejner-Moyers' 3-year-old granddaughter sent a letter to Santa and received a call from him or who she thought was Santa, but in reality was her grandfather.

"She had no idea it was him," said Cejner-Moyers. "It was something she talked about all year long. She talked about it during soccer practice, ballet and it was pretty magical for her."

For more information about the event or Santa's mailbox, contact Cejner-Moyers at 530-741-6508.