It was darned cold Saturday night, but not cold enough to keep hundreds from gathering at the tree in front of Port Orchard’s City Hall and waiting patiently for it to be lighted.
Mayor Lary Coppola helped sing Christmas carols in the minutes leading up to 6 p.m., when the clock tower’s chimes rang five times before the tree was lighted on the sixth ring.
“This is what life in small-town America is all about,” said Coppola.
Gorst resident Cheryl Helm agreed, saying she brought her nephew, one-year-old Zanden Williams, down to the tree to “start a new tradition.”
Helm, who was also joined by the toddler’s grandmother, Virginia Skinner of Long Lake, said she has been coming to the tree lighting every year since she moved back to the area in 2006.
“It’s a great way to celebrate, and to remember the good things, instead of the ugly things,” Helm said. “And there are so many ugly things.”
After the tree was lighted, Santa arrived on a yellow fire truck, then headed to his sleigh at the gazebo near the Port Orchard Marina Park. Escorting him was the South Kitsap High School marching band, which showed their holiday spirit by decorating many of their instruments in Christmas lights.
Even more lights could be found at the Port Orchard Marina, where oodles of boats lined the visitors’ dock sporting lights, decorations and even music trying to earn the most votes from admirers.
Marty Hobbs of Tacoma, who said he was the crowd favorite last year, had decorated his relatively small boat with an impressive and tasteful amount of bulbs, but was experiencing technical difficulties that left many unlighted.
“We need more cowbell,” Hobbs joked, explaining that he didn’t have enough electricity available at the dock to keep the entire display lighted for long.
Another Pierce County resident, Mike Fedak, had a large whale lined with blue lights fastened to the stern of his boat, which he made out of copper tubing, after trying unsuccessfully to forge out of PVC piping.
Fedak said he didn’t expect to win for his creation, but he planned to add to it next year.
“We might had some orcas on the side,” he said. “But we’re keeping the whale; we like him.”
