Sheriff’s Department spreads holiday cheer

According to the NORAD website, Santa Claus needs to visit 390,000 homes per minute on Dec. 25 yet he apparently took time away from preparing for that upcoming journey to stop by the Alpine Sheriff’s Station Dec. 18. Along with an assistant elf, Claus situated himself inside the station where he greeted young and not-so-young residents.

Each child was given the opportunity to share their holiday wishes with Santa. Some put in heartfelt requests for presents while oth­ers took one look at the big man in the red suit and burst into fearful tears. After posing for photographs — free and made possible through volunteers at the station — children were given candy canes by the smiling assistant in her bright green and red elven uniform and ush­ered back to their waiting parents.

As they met back up with their parents, many of whom had seized the chance to snap a few cell phone pictures of their smiling off­spring seated by Santa, the children tore into the striped treats and told parents what they had talked about with Santa, some to obvious parental surprise.

“Santa said I could get a German shepherd puppy!” said Brayden Haynes.

Following photos, children were able to choose from a pile of unwrapped presents under the decorated tree in the corner of the community room. Dollies, trucks and board games were strewn about as little ones gingerly stepped over the piles and took their chance to choose a present of their liking.

Sheriff’s Capt. Karen Stub­kjaer said the presents were all donated through the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, with many passed to Alpine from other stations because there was such an abundance of donated gifts this year.

“It’s all through generosity that this is possible — Santa, his assistant elf, Kiwanis helping out at the grill … it is about com­munity and a connected com­munity is a safer community,” Stubkjaer said.

The Kiwanis Club of Alpine estimated they cooked and served almost 100 hot dogs at the grill station they set up near the beverage table laden with hot chocolate, sparkling apple cider and coffee.

As new Alpine resident Jo­anna Contreras slowly poured apple cider just out of reach of her baby’s grasping hands, she smiled and said she was over­whelmed by the great commu­nity of Alpine.

“I was at the mall today and I was going to have a picture tak­en with Santa but the line was too long. I’m glad I skipped it because this is so much better,” Contreras said.

As children reached maxi­mum sugar potential with can­dy canes and hot chocolate, law enforcement officers gave the youngsters a chance to climb inside a sheriff’s car with the red and blue lights turned on and flashing in the dark night.

Crime prevention specialist Holly Nicholson circled through the event all evening, cheerfully greeting parents and answering questions from children who peeked inside the open car and wanted to know more.

“This is so much fun, to have this many children. This is the absolute best part of my job when I get to do things like this,” Nicholson said.

As some attendees began to leave, resident Samantha Erd­mann gathered her three children and said her family appre­ciated the event.

“The best part about this is the community all sharing in the holiday spirit with the kids,” Erdmann said.

Despite having more than 100 attendees pass through the sheriff’s station to have a conversation with Claus, NORAD, which has been tracking Santa’s annual progress since 1955 with 100 percent accuracy, reports he is still on schedule for Dec. 25.