Every holiday season, thousands of children from all over the world send letters to Santa Claus at his home in the town of North Pole, Alaska.
His mailing address is Santa Claus, 325 S. Santa Claus Lane, North Pole, AK 99705.Time is of the essence. To receive a form letter response, your children's letters must arrive at North Pole by Dec. 5.
You can also have your holiday greeting cards stamped with a North Pole postmark by addressing them and affixing postage stamps and then mailing them in a bulk envelope to North Pole Cancellations, U.S. Postal Service, 5400 Mail Trail, Fairbanks, AK 99709-9996. Include a note requesting the North Pole cancellation.
The cards should arrive in Fairbanks by Dec. 10. Express mail is recommended for cards sent after today.
North Pole, AK, is a town of 1,500, a 14-mile drive from Fairbanks.
The town's landmarks to Santa include Elf's Den, Santa Claus House and Blitzen Drive. Santa does his laundry at Santa's Suds.
New toy labels
New warning labels on toys that could choke small children will help parents choose toys that are safe for their kids. The labels appear on toys made for children from 3 to 6 years old if the toy poses a choking hazard to younger children.
The label lets a parent know if the toy isn't safe for children under 3 and why.
The labels are required on toys marketed for children from 3 years old to under six and manufacturered after Jan. 1, 1995.
Consumer Product Safety Commission Chairman Ann Brown said, "Before now, parents and grandparents had no way of knowing that they toys they bought for older children could be a danger to younger kids. Now they have that information right in the st ore and will be able to make a purchased based on safety.
"In addition, they will be able to buy a toy for older children, knowing they need to keep it away from younger children."
According to CPSC estimates, 5,000 children were taken to hospital emergency rooms in 1994 for aspirating or ingesting toys and parts of toys.
Since 1980, nearly 200 children choked to death on balloons, marbles and small balls - toys now covered by the new CPSC label requirements.
In 1994, the CPSC had reports of 18 toy-related deaths. Thirteen were from choking.
According to Brown, the CPSC recalled 10 million toys and children's products in 1994, and had stopped three quarters of a million unsafe toys from being imported into the United States.
Holiday spending
Here are tips on holiday money management from the American Financial Services Association's Consumer Credit Education Foundation:
- Work a little extra here and there throughout the year, saving most, if not all, for holiday expenses.
- Borrow wisely. Many people use credit cards and loans to make up for a lack of cash. However, you pay interest for this privilege. Budget for credit card or loan payments you'll have to make.