Christmas fun at park

December 03, 2006|by TARA REILLY

HAGERSTOWN - Six-year-old Joseph Wolfe brought his festive Christmas spirit to the right place Saturday night.

The Hagerstown resident attended the annual City Park Lighting wearing antlers and a red, blinking nose.

"I'm Rudolph," said Joseph, who was persistent in making it clear he was there as Santa's lead reindeer.

Joseph also had an opinion of the newly lighted park.

"I like best ... the panda bear skating," he said. "It's cute. I like that."

Hagerstown Community Affairs Director Karen M. Giffin said the city has been lighting the park for at least 14 years.

This year's illumination included 16 lighted decorations around the lake, including a lighted Santa sitting in a boat on the lake fishing, and a 25-foot blinking Colorado blue spruce Christmas tree topped with a star in the middle of the lake.

The tree was donated by Marsha Guderjohn of Hagerstown.

Frank Nuice, a traffic signal technician for the city's Department of Public Works, said it took a crew of six people about two weeks to set up the decorations.

Santa Claus greeted children at the Jonathan Hager House as Girl Scout Troup 256 sang Christmas carols. A petting zoo with farm animals was set up outside the Hager House.

The festivities also included free hayrides around the park by the Washington County Antique Tractor Club, a scavenger hunt and music by Pete Lancaster at the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts.

Mayor Robert E. Bruchey II said 2,500 luminarias - candles set in sand in paper bags - were placed around the park.

Sarah McAllister, her 4-year-old son Tyler Remsburg and Missy Remsburg, all of Hagerstown, said they were having a good time walking around the park.

Tyler shook his head in approval.

"It's nice," McAllister said.

"It's beautiful," said Jaime Mason of Martinsburg, W.Va.. "This is my first time (attending the lighting), and it's a really nice community event."

Kathleen Thomas of Hagerstown said the petting zoo caught the attention of her children.

"Oh, I think it's great," Thomas said. "I think the lights look great. My boys said, 'Oh, my gosh, they have animals.'"

One of her sons, Stephen, 6, got excited about the free hayrides.

"They're having a lot of fun," Thomas said.

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