Featuring the history of Barbie.
To all North Pole City Elves, those in Santa’s Village, in the Lower 48 and all around the world, this is your weekly update for the week of March 7, 2022. I'm your host Walter "Mistletoe" Livingstone. Let's go to press.
| For the week of March 7, 2022 your sponsor is the Peppermint Post Newspaper. Serving news to elves all over the world since the early 1500s, the Peppermint Post Newspaper is now digital. Anyone can subscribe to receive the news publication for FREE right in their email each week but going to the Peppermint Post webpage on TAOLF.com. That’s the Peppermint Post Newspaper, bringing you all of North Pole City News. |
| We almost had another incident at the workshop this past week as the mixture for one of the paint colors was not coming out correctly as it was being made. Luckily, the issue was caught in time before much of it was made and the formula was re-entered in the computers again. “This is the same process we use every single week,” said Maggie “Speckles” Myerscough, head of operations at the paint factory. “We just don’t understand. We put in the formula for red paint, and it was coming out blue with yellow dots. This has never happened before.” This information has been reported to the security detail who is investigating the glue issue as well.Santa initially thought that Jack Frost was behind some of the strange things happening around the workshops and factories; however, with this past report, the Department of Elfland security knows that he was nowhere near North Pole City since they started tracking him after the glue issues.This definitely puts another snag in the investigation. |
| From the Department of Elfland Security, as mentioned, Edward Hinklemyer and his staff has started reviewing the Elf Workers Union Handbook for any updates and needed revisions. This past weekend he posted a newly revised Craftsman Elf Oath to the Office of Elf Affairs Webpage. Future posts and revisions will be coming soon.The Department of Elfland Security also sent out a security detail to Reindeer Mountain to deliver a special message to Rudolph from Lucas, an elf in training down in the lower 48. Rudolph sent back a reply and wanted to know if we could read it on the air. The note reads, “Please tell Lucas thank you, and I love him as well.” |
| The Division of WWW/PR for TAOLF.com would like to remind everyone that if you have a question for any of the legendary figures or any division within the Department of Elfland Security, that you can ask them through the contact us form on the website. The questions will be answered on the appropriate FAQ pages, as well as a personal note sent back through email if an email address is provided. |
| The predicted storm that was supposed to hit North Pole City Friday actually reached us early Sunday morning and left as quick as it came only leaving us with colder temperatures and little snowfall. Changes to this weather pattern are not expected for the region until next week. |
| This week in Elf History, On March 9, 1959, the first Barbie doll went on display at the American Toy Fair in New York City.Eleven inches tall, with a waterfall of blond hair, Barbie was the first mass-produced toy doll in the United States with adult features. The woman behind Barbie was Ruth Handler, who co-founded Mattel, Inc. with her husband in 1945. After seeing her young daughter ignore her baby dolls to play make-believe with paper dolls of adult women, Handler realized there was an important niche in the market for a toy that allowed little girls to imagine the future.Barbie’s appearance was modeled on a doll named Lilli, based on a German comic strip character. Originally marketed as a racy gag gift to adult men in tobacco shops, the Lilli doll later became extremely popular with children. Mattel bought the rights to Lilli and made its own version, which Handler named after her daughter, Barbara. With its sponsorship of the “Mickey Mouse Club'' TV program in 1955, Mattel became one of the first toy companies to broadcast commercials to children. They used this medium to promote their new toy, and by 1961, the enormous consumer demand for the doll led Mattel to release a boyfriend for Barbie. Handler named him Ken, after her son. Barbie’s best friend, Midge, came out in 1963; her little sister, Skipper, debuted the following year.We at the North Pole especially love how they make Barbie dolls to represent different places around the world and different professions. The Barbie brand brought in $1.12 billion for the first nine months of 2021 and is sure to continue to be an industry favorite. |
| The offices for the North Pole City Commerce Association have been fielding calls from several North Pole City business owners expressing their concerns of traffic flow and interruptions to their businesses during the upcoming sidewalk and street replacement project. The Association would like to assure everyone that the city has agreed to work with the businesses as to not delay any type of commerce and/or operations with their business or Santa’s Village during the project. Plans have already been made to only replace and work on sidewalks in front of businesses during off or closed hours. Those businesses that are open on a 24/7 basis will have temporary entrance ramps set up to make sure that potential customers will still have access. |
| The North Pole City Council met this past Thursday at Claus mansion to review and approve plans for the replacement of the sidewalks and streets throughout North Pole City. The first item on the agenda was the approval of the “Official” North Pole City Map which is now posted on the council’s web page. Several questions and concerns arose around the project that were also addressed during the meeting such as; What will we do with all of the existing bricks?, Are we going to make sure that operations at Santa's Village will not be interfered with?, and shouldn't we historically document some of these existing bricks since they were the original ones laid when North Pole City was built?The existing bricks will be given to any citizen of North Pole City who would like to have them for their personal cabins with the exception of 12 that will be archived in the city’s library and historical archive. One brick from each of the streets will be selected from each of the 12 streets that lead out from Santa’s Village to the outer parts of the elf villages. All other bricks that are not taken will be recycled through the brick factory.Council also approved the initial order of 500 billion bricks for the initial project and has granted the brick factory to make more as needed without the need of any additional resolutions.The project is set to begin April 1 in North Pole City, but work in Santa’s Village will not take place until June 1 and to be finished by the end of August so as to not disrupt any work flow within Santa’s Village. Most of the areas throughout the city have not been repaired or replaced since the city was first built. It is going to be exciting to see the new streets of the city. |
| The North Pole City Sports League will be holding an Elf Speed Racing event this Saturday morning on Polar Bear Lake for anyone who would like to come out for the day to have some fun. There will be three divisional heats. Medals will be awarded for first, second, and third places. The event will start at 9 a.m. so come on out and make sure to bring your skates. |
| The North Pole City Quilting Bee club will be hosting an open house and auction this Wednesday night in the banquet hall of the North Pole City Hotel. Anyone who would like to come out and see the fine works created by the society over this past winter and enter to win a community quilt is welcome to come out and socialize with the club. Doors will open at 5p.m. and refreshments will be available. Anyone wishing to join the club is welcome to speak with the membership committee at the event. Also, the Department of Elfland Security’s Division of Tailor and Seamstress will have a table setup at the event with bolts of fabric and scraps left over from last season that they will be giving away for free to anyone wishing to have the materials. |
| WELF-NPC would like to wish a very happy 425th birthday to Betty “Buttons” Birkenhead. Betty Buttons has been working at the Tailor and Seamstress shop ever since she was able to thread a needle. We wish her a very happy birthday and many, many more. |
This is Walter “Mistletoe†Livingstone with the reminder: There’s power in looking silly and not caring that you do.
Have a good evening, and be sure to tune in next week for another WELF-NPC North Pole Radio News Update.
