Christmas stockings bring joy and delight to children around the world during the holiday season. This year, however, the holiday tradition is causing nothing but headaches for two small towns.
The Lansing State Journal reports that the city of Potterville and the Benton Township are arguing over who gets to deliver Christmas stockings this year. You see, the city and the township used to be one city, but Potterville broke off last year. Previously, the township’s volunteer fire department would deliver Christmas stockings to the boys and girls of Potterville. As part of the breakup, Potterville formed its own volunteer fire department.
What’s the big deal then? Can’t the Benton Township fire department just do the delivery like always? As it turns out, the city really wants to take over the delivery of stockings within Potterville city limits. The City Council is of the opinion that Potterville should handle the delivery to its citizens while Benton takes care of its own. Benton is of the opinion that a decades-old tradition shouldn’t change just because the cities decided to go their separate ways last year.
Both cities have a point, but it looks like the children will be getting their Christmas stockings either way. The Benton Township volunteer fire department made it very clear that it’s not actually governed by the township’s city council so it can do what it wants. Even if Potterville decides to deliver stockings this year, the volunteer fire deparment will service both cities this year as well.
“There might be two different groups of Santa’s helpers on the street delivering stockings,” said Benton Township Treasurer Judy Locke. “As a board we have given the township organization our blessing to do whatever they feel they have to do.”
Here’s hoping Santa isn’t too hard on the two cities this year. It’s an understandable dispute, but children shouldn’t bear the brunt of bickering between adults.