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Mon Valley quotes: The best Christmas gift
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"A GI Joe doll when I was 6 years old. It was popular. All my buddies were getting them."
Emerson Fazekas, 46, Versailles, a carpenter and mayor of Versailles
"Personally, my daughter, who was born a month and a half before one Christmas.
"Professionally speaking, I'd say the best gift is making a difference in the lives of a family. The Rainbow Kitchen has a program in which it matches a needy family with a giving family, who gives Christmas gifts. Three years ago, one particular family arrived to pick up gifts. The mother burst into tears. She said, 'We would not have a Christmas if it wasn't for the Rainbow Kitchen."
"I'm the one who gets to see the love put into action."
Sandy Wolfe, 47, Homestead, program director, Rainbow Kitchen, Homestead
"My philosophy is that the best gift is Jesus Christ. You choose to receive him. I wrote a song about that, called "The Gift," and gave it to the Christy Park United Methodist Church [in McKeesport]. I sang it there."
Rubbie Greenewald, 58, Elizabeth Township, construction manager, Century Steel Erectors
"My gift spans a number of Christmases. It's the home movies I took of my children seeing their gifts on Christmas day. I enjoyed seeing the excitement on their faces and their eyes get as large as silver dollars. I remember assembling a rocking horse in the middle of the night. When they're little, that's fun."
Bill Kortz, 51, Dravosburg, operations manager, U.S. Steel Irvin plant; state representative-elect, 38th District
"A football helmet I got when I was 6 or 7. It was made of cardboard, believe it or not, and it didn't work too good."
Hugh "Babe" O'Donnell, 65, West Mifflin, disc jockey
"My best gift was when I got married in November 22 years ago, to my wife, Cathy.''
Howie Evans, 47, Glassport, auto mechanic
"A leg lamp that looked like a woman's leg. It came in a wooden crate with French words on it. It was really cool."
Brian Britza, 46, Homestead, artistic director, Steel Valley Arts Council, and counselor, Pennsylvania Career Link
"One Christmas, more than 25 years ago, when we found out that there was no severe problems for my nephew, Joey, who was admitted to Children's Hospital. He is in his 30s now and doing fine."
Betty Esper, 73, Homestead, retired U.S. Steel employee and mayor of Homestead
"My gift is family. It's what brings joy to the world."
Eugene Skerkoski, 65, Glassport, retired Glassport police chief
"It's my family coming to my home over the holidays and our enjoying each other. We see our grandchildren and my 94-year-old mother, Anna Krivacek. There's lots of relatives. It's a beautiful day."
Philip Krivacek, 71, Duquesne, mayor of Duquesne and retired firefighter
and furniture store worker
"My father loved Christmas. One year, he bought me a Red Ryder BB gun. He had it wrapped and told me it was an aerial for an old Ford. I'll remember it as long as I'm alive."
Ken Robb, 65, White Oak, lawyer and White Oak councilman
First Published December 21, 2006 12:00 am
