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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Santas of all stripes help start holiday season


Santa makes tracks along Sherman Avenue in downtown Coeur d'Alene on Friday night during the annual Christmas parade. 
 (Brian Plonka / The Spokesman-Review)

There may not have been any snow, but there were plenty of Santa Clauses in downtown Coeur d’Alene on Friday night to kick off the holiday season.

None of the children who lined the streets seemed to care that the jolly ol’ bearded man was everywhere.

“Santa, Santa, Santa, hi, Santa!” yelled 7-year-old Michelle Kluss, waving her mittened hands as the third Santa of the night strolled down Sherman Avenue.

Kluss and her two brothers weren’t shocked to see all the St. Nicks, because they came with one of the gift-giver’s many helpers, also known as Grandpa, or George Morrison.

Each October, Morrison lets his snowy beard go untrimmed so that by Thanksgiving, when he starts wearing his red hat with a white puff on the end, children run up to him wherever he goes.

“I just wink at them and say I’m one of Santa’s helpers,” Morrison said.

Morrison said he wears the Santa cap partly to keep from getting profiled.

“With a beard like this, I look like the homeless if I don’t have it on,” he said.

Just then one of his grandchildren blurted, “There goes another Santa.”

Children have a wonderful faith, said Jessica Morrison, George’s wife.

“I think they just believe in him (Santa) no matter what,” she said.

This Santa was driving a team of horses pulling the Aladdin Bail Bonds carriage.

The Grinch, wearing a striped prison jumpsuit, followed behind the ponies with a wheelbarrow and shovel.

“It’s good Christmas tradition to make sure you know where your bail bondsman is,” joked a woman in the crowd.

Before the last two parade Santas passed, one riding a 966F CAT and the other straddling a saddle strapped to a hay bale, the massive crowd started funneling its way to the lawn in front of the Coeur d’Alene Resort and Hagadone Corp. headquarters to watch the fireworks.

During the thank-you speeches and welcomes, children were told that Santa and Mrs. Claus were ready to personally greet anyone who took a lake cruise over to the North Pole, which in summer months is known as Casco Bay.

As the full moon loomed above, Duane Hagadone’s personal secretary for 36 years started the countdown to the fireworks show.

Berni Dami told the crowd, some who held lighted candles, that she practiced all Thanksgiving Day with her granddaughter.

She looked over the sea of anxious watchers and said this is probably the only time she would feel like a rock star. And with a giggle, she started the countdown:

“10, 9, 8….”