Renton's bright lights and Santa sightings

Tonight Renton's Piazza was aglow with sparkling lights and visited by Christmas royalty - no less than Mr. and Mrs. Claus themselves. The lights will be up throughout the month, so include a trip down South Third street in Downtown Renton on your schedule of Holiday Destinations. It will warm the cockles of your heart, though you may feel the need of mittens and a warm coat if you decide to walk and take in the sights.

No bush or tree left unlit.

All the colors of the light rainbow.

There was music being played by the group from Harambe - our own Matt Topping leading in song. The Salavation Army Band followed up next and everyone was encouraged to sing along and crone to the carols, whether off key or not.

Mayor Denis Law was on hand to help two children throw the special switch that lit the tallest of the trees. Magic!

Here is that very tree. A Christmas Tree. That's right - isn't very "PC" of me. Oh well.


Volunteer Pat Roland stands at the ready in the Santa House where children are free to come and sit on Santa's knee, have their photo taken, and receive a candy cane and an opportunity to bend the big guy's ear with their wish list. Each weekend there will be hours posted on the Santa House so that all will have other opportunities to visit Mr. Claus.

Santa and Mrs. Santa arrived not in a sled, but in a big, red shiny firetruck. They even had a faithful elf, Suzzane, in attendance. Santa is usually fashionably late - and the tension builds and the kids begin looking for the signs of his arrival - like the blast of a fire horn and the blinking of lights.

Oh, the wonder of seeing Santa.

Even though the reindeer stayed at home, Santa had some bells on hand to remind him of his favorite sleigh friends.

The Schlegel family all bundled up, walked down to share in a cup of warm cider and a handful of cookies that are given out each year.

Council member Marice Palmer came all decked out in the season's best color. It seems she has recovered from that nasty cast she was in for so long - yeah! at last.

Jennifer Davis Hayes of the City of Renton's Economic Dept. was there with her kids waiting for the big guy to show.


Councilman Randy Corman's family always have great community spirit - here are his wife Cathy Corman and his youngest, Susie. Susie has already been baking up her holiday cookies, and the 11 or so members of the household eat them up as fast as she can turn them out. That's a house I would like to be visiting soon.
Could the Cookie Fairy come visit me soon, do you think?