SANTA VISITS MAIN STREET
St. Nick: Not deterred by cold and snow
WOONSOCKET – If you are going to have a chat with Santa Claus, it really doesn’t matter if it is cold outside.
That is how Masey Sanneh of Woonsocket felt when taking her boys, Sulayman, 5, and Fabakary, 4, to Santa’s House at the Main Street mini park this week while the temperatures sank into the 20s.
“It’s cold but they have been wanting to meet Santa all year,” she said.
The siblings were looking forward to telling Santa what they wanted for gifts and their mom reported “they have been good boys.”
Although he does have lots to do at this time of year, Santa has set a schedule of twohour stays in his mini park house through Wednesday, Dec. 21. He will be available from 5 to 7 pm that day, and has a visit on Saturday, Dec. 16, from 4 to 6 pm.
After that Santa will be getting ready for his busy night on Dec. 24, he reported while sitting in the comfy Santa’s chair in the mini park house.
Santa, who was assisted in making his local stops by Bob Dubois of North Smithfield, said he doesn’t mind a really cold night either.
“We’re used to it,” Santa said. “It’s always cold at the North Pole,” he added. And Santa does have a good warm coat to wear, his hat, and his gloves.
“If I was in a heated building I would be warm, but out here it is nice and comfortable,” Santa said, adding that he didn’t even turn on the space heater installed in the mini park house.
As for the kids stopping in to see him, Santa said his Woonsocket visits couldn’t be better.
“This is nice. It’s great, it really is,” he said of his local venue. There are holiday decorations on trees all through the park, and nearby Main Street has also been decorated with garland and lighting on its street light poles as another sign of the holidays.
“The kids have been great, too,” Santa said. When they stop by with their parents in tow, Santa has a few questions for them about what they want for Christmas. “I asked them their names and if they have any special requests,” he said. Then he lets them know their status on his list for his Christmas Eve run.
“I say `I see you are on the list’ and there is a check by your name and that means you have been good,” he said.
The last day to see Santa on Main Street will be the Dec. 21 since he still has a lot to oversee back up at the North Pole before the big night arrives.
“I’ll rest up a couple of days and then I’ve got to trav- el around the world,” Santa said. As for the toys, don’t worry, Santa said his elves are “working overtime to make sure we have all the toys we need,” he said.
Ildefonso Rodriguez took his son, Ivan, 8, and daughter, Mia, 6, to visit Santa at the mini park and said it was nice to have a place to take the kids close by in Woonsocket. “It really great,” he said as the children talked with Santa. “It’s cold but it’s good,” he said.
“We’re used to it,” Santa said. “It’s always cold at the North Pole.”