Mayor Fezziwig's Christmas Party

I first “worked” for Mayor Monaghan is 1969 on his election campaign as a Young Democrat while at Millersville. On Election Day 1973, I was on the road. However, the first Mayor that I actually worked for was Dick Scott who beat Mayor Monaghan in that ’73 contest. The chance encounter on the cinders led me to employment in the Bureau of Planning in Mayor Scott’s City Hall. Mayor Scott was a lot of things, devoted, courageous, principled, disiplinarian, human and, at Christmastime, he was a regular Fezziwig. City Hall, the building, was a great place to be on Christmas Eve during the time I worked there (i.e. 1976-87). Some years were better than others but political correctness was just a gleam in Hillary’s eye then and M.A.D.D. had absolutely no influence in the governmental center of Lancaster. For better or for worse to be sure but that is the way it was nonetheless.

I punched in at 8:30 and worked hard till around 11 when one started watching both clock and supervisor. Is it time yet? No. However, elsewhere in the building in fiefdom’s under Krimmell or Lawrence or other building it was time. It was beginning. Spreads were being laid out. Bottles chilled. In later years I’d fill the morning time with site visits to other agencies funded by the city and ultimately I’d adjourn to a long lunch and, upon my return, at 1:00 City Hall would be a party.

It can’t be like it was anymore in these repressive, almost prohibitionary, times we live in nor was it like this at the State in ’88 or since but … let me tell you from 1 till 3 when people started to trickle out it was a mix of beer, booze, chips, pretzels, potato salad, beer, sandwiches, desserts, booze & beer, a little debauchery, oh yeah gift exchange in the division, beer runs, booze & beer, cigarette smoke (in the early days), damsels on your lap, beer, booze, few more pretzels, more beer … and suddenly everyone was gone. I’d take a walk downstairs … nothing … perhaps Naomi closing down her shop … back thru one … no one … silent night ... up the back stairs … no Faye … no Harry … but I do hear a little noise … unmistakable … the Mayor’s Office … “its not over till I say its over” boomed the Mayor … not much food but plenty of booze … City Hall would not close till 5 or so … the Mayor’s Office was open for business … monkey business … the Mayor, his closest aids and friends and stragglers like me would sit around converse, cajole, and drink up all remaining yuletide cheer. I’d have to say no such City Hall Christmas was like my first, that first one coulda matched any 340 Club affair (at least in my wide open eyes), they declined after that (no cigarettes, less frivolity, less booze, later starts, etc,) but I have to tell you the ’87 party, even after over a decade of diminishing debauchery, was still a stunner especially when compared to today’s stifled atmosphere.