Frank Herbert and Santa Claus

Now that Finals are over, and the Holzworth trial, I have more time to research my  Frank Herbert project, "Behind the Santaroga Barrier." I have been scanning the microfilm at the local genealogical library for newspaper articles written before he became a best-selling sci-fi writer. From 1949 to 1953 he lived in northern California Santa Rosa and wrote for the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. His first sci-fi short story got published in April 1953, so these journalistic articles are the practice swings, so to speak, of the future home run king.

I have found lots of interesting things while scanning the rolls of microfilm, to be included in my book, but I found something amazing I had to include. Finding it was more than just an Easter egg - it was an early Christmas present. The front page December 24, 1949 featured a photo of Santa Claus sitting on a beardless Frank Herbert's lap.

"What Santa Wants In HIS Stocking" by Frank Herbert. What an encouraging treasure to discover so early in my research...

For the last three semesters at SRJC I have covered the trial of the 28-year veteran campus cop who got caught pilfering $286,000 from campus parking machines. He held sole responsibility without oversight of collecting money from machines at all campuses in the county. Jeffrey Holzworth pleaded guilty to eleven misdemeanor charges of possession of stolen property and one felony charge of theft by embezzlement, enhanced for an amount over $100,000. He sentenced to four years in prison right after finals, and the great spiral has brought me back again to my Frank Herbert project.