SEBAGO, Maine — The spirit of Christmas is alive in Sebago.
More than a dozen children crowded into the town's public library Wednesday afternoon after school, excited for one more assignment.
Town Clerk Letitia Genest passed out writing prompts for the kids to fill in first-class mail for Santa.
The papers asked for the children's names, ages, whether they had been naughty or nice, and what they wanted for the holiday.
"Hmm, I want lots of presents," one boy pondered.
"I want a pet snake and a pet turtle!" another exclaimed.
"I want everyone to have a happy Christmas and for Santa to be able to take a break," a girl said confidently.
Once the kids finished their work, Genest and library staff collected the letters and, along with a couple of adolescent volunteers, brought them to the town hall to slide into a bright red mailbox.
The box belonged to Deputy Clerk Bobbie Jo Wadsworth, and she had thought to find higher purpose for the tin decoration, illuminated all over by lights.
This was to be the first year of Sebago's "letters to Santa" program, Genest said. As of Wednesday night, as many as 70 letters had been removed, counted, and stacked.
There was no age limit for the program, as it appeared some adults in town were able to maintain Christmas spirit and steadfast belief in Old St. Nick.
"I have a couple of favorites," Wadsworth said, holding a stack of letters in her hand.
She pulled one out, penned by an 89-year-old woman in town. She had checked "naughty" on the form and wrote but one short declaration.
"[She] asked for something I bet a lot of other women would like, and that is a rich old man," Wadsworth grinned. "And I'm right with you!"
There was also at least one example of a child whose wish went beyond presents.
"I have a letter here from an 8-year-old," Genest said, picking one up from the pile.
"'I have been nice this year,'" she read from it. "'And this year I would like for my mom and dad to get back together; and that I would also like a scooter.'"
Genest paused for a long while.
"I could have cried, because he knows his mom and dad can't fix it, but maybe Santa can," she said quietly.
The workers—which included Keisha Gannett in addition to Wadsworth and Genest—committed to getting replies to each letter from Santa himself. But, in Sebago (and assuredly in many towns across Maine) the big man in red would not be the sole source of Christmas magic.
In this quiet lakeside town, the people who think of each other, and those who work to embrace their whole town, would make the season truly magical.