Sultan pulls together to restore Christmas spirit to town
Published 1:30 am Thursday, December 15, 2016
SULTAN — It read like a Dr. Seuss story.
People in Sultan, the tall and the small, answered a call for help in a true Who-ville fashion.
About five years ago, the city had to retire its Christmas train. The 10-foot, light-up train used to sit on top of the awning at City Hall each holiday season.
The red lights and tinsel could be seen clear from the other end of Main Street.
But the lights kept blowing fuses.
This year, Sultan Mayor Carolyn Eslick asked what it would take to repair the train.
“She wanted to make sure downtown Sultan had the Christmas feel and the Christmas look,” said Donna Murphy, the city grants and volunteer coordinator.
Festive decorations are strung up in the post office, visitor’s center and police department. Seasonal banners line the streets.
“It’s kind of magical around here,” Murphy said.
She formed a committee for the project. They met each week for six months, drawing up a plan to recruit volunteers.
More than a dozen people gathered in the center of town and replaced each light bulb one by one on the train.
Kids from the Sultan Boys and Girls Club and the middle school lent a hand, as well as missionaries from the Mormon church in town.
Public works personnel climbed on the roof of City Hall to put the train on top of the awning once again.
Michelle Tinney, co-organizer of the project, is opening Kiss the Sky Books located across the street from City Hall with her father. She donned green tights and a holiday vest, and brought hot chocolate for the work crews.
The project took two days. The younger volunteers had trouble pulling the bulbs out. They were sealed tight.
Together they finished the job that would have taken one person 53 hours to complete.
“The number one reason why people don’t volunteer; they’re not asked,” Murphy said. “When you ask, people do want to help. Even something as small as changing light bulbs.”
Caitlin Tompkins: 425-339-3192; ctompkins@heraldnet.com.
