Mild Temperatures Make For Great Kickoff

DAYTON - A thin overcast sky and mild temperatures in the 40s greeted an influx of tourists and locals alike during the first day of the Dayton Christmas Kickoff celebration Friday in "The Town That Still Believes."

The Dayton Chamber of Commerce's annual event brought people from as far away as the Tri-Cities, Spokane and Yakima to participate in the family-friendly activities and to take advantage of the Christmas sales that peppered the downtown core.

Gunnar and Danika Gaethle spent a few minutes visiting with Santa Claus at Santa's workshop in the old Criss Furniture building on Main Street. Gunnar, Danika and their mother Stephanie make the annual trek to Dayton fromYakima.

"We try and come every year," Stephanie said. "My Aunt Kathy Blake moved here from Denver a few years ago. We've been doing this for four years at least. We shop a lot here. I love the different gifts they have that you can't find other places-the crafts, the homemade jams, the homemade hats, the homemade soaps and soups. There's so much."

Of course there's also the added draw of telling the jolly big man in the red suit faceto face exactly what you want for Christmas. Little Danika wasted few seconds asking Santa for a horse. Danika's older, tween-age brother Gunnar, on the other hand, wasted no time at all. He didn't give Santa a word. But hint, hint Santa-Gunnar wants a remote controlled car. A viper.

Up and down Main Street the sidewalks were bustling with shoppers and the curious, accompanied by a small band of teenaged carolers.

The Harvest Christian Center Youth Group composed of Alyssa White, Katie White, Benjamin White, Josiah White, Katie Patton, Austin Krekula, Robin Krekula, Tia Krekula, Ben Krekula, and moms Dawn White and Dawna Krekula, sang "Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer" outside Dingle's of Dayton as they wound up their circuitous tour of Main. The group started its caroling at Flour Mill Park and in a few more minutes planned on ending it there too.

"This was our first year," said Dawna Krekula. "The kids were asked by our Youth Pastor Tony Sykes to participate to bring Christmas cheer to the Christmas Kickoff for the Chamber of Commerce. We're singing a selection of traditional carols and hymns. We started at 2 p.m."

Austin Krekula chimed in that the activity is fun.

"We're getting some smiles from people, and we're laughing when they clap."

Down at the Dayton Historic Depot, a queue stretched from the curb to the historic structure, then along its wall and around its corner. Moms and dads, boys and girls were all waiting in line for the return of the mule-drawn hay ride.

And soon enough the twin mule-powered home-fabricated wagon of Sorghum Hollow Road resident Doug Kruger crossed Main Street for the depot and the departure and arrival of another set of riders.

Kruger's daughter Beth Pruiett dismounted the driver's seat from beside her dad and walked to greet visitors who wanted to pet Kate and Belle, Kruger's primrose-festooned half ponies.

"We do about three rides an hour, about 20 people per ride," Bryce Kruger said. "It's all free. There's been a long line all day."

Over on Third Street in the Columbia County Library's Delany Room, Ruth Jones, Linda Miller, Betty Keller and Sylvia Beuhler wrapped up a successful first ever cookie sale put on by Friends of the Library.

"It's been pretty steady all day," said Betty Keller, one of the four friends working the sale. "There would be quite a few people, then a short lull, then we'd have more people, and children and all ages came. There was one family that came and bought two cookies and they hadn't left before everyone had had a bite. They were having so much fun. They had come from Pasco, and had moved recently from Tucson (Ariz.). They saw our little ad in the paper for this today. And after Thanksgiving thought they'd get out of the house and come up and check us out."

A 20-foot table blanketed in box after box of chocolate chip and other assorted cookie confections captured consideration at the center of the room. Sylvia Beuhler confirmed a second table of cookies had just recently been put away.

"I spent two days in the kitchen and all of us here baked cookies to bring," Keller said. "There were about a dozen people involved."

Downstairs, another Friend of the Library, Lois Hemphill, held court over the Free Make and Take Crafts for Kids activity. Just inside the door, gingerbread houses from the Tuesday Gingerbread house building competition at Country Cupboard were on display, while all around at four other tables, eight kids and a handful of adults worked on small art projects. Children crowded stations for tree ornaments, "God's eyes" (yarn patterned over crossed popsicle sticks), snowman centerpieces, stuffed-cloth gingerbread men and paper snowflakes.

Back on Main Street in the Village Shops, the aisles jammed with customers around 4 p.m.

Store owner Candy Jones noted, "I think this is going to be a much better year as numbers of people here to enjoy this event. We've had customers all day versus normally when we don't have customers until 2 p.m. Starting now at 4 -- it's going to get crazy."

Jones believes several factors have played into the increased traffic this year.

"I think there are more activities, the community has pulled together really well this year, and the advertising. They hit the Pasco/Tri-Cities area, and I think we had more advertising than in the past so more people are aware of what's going on," Jones said. "It's absolutely (the high water sales mark for the year). If it weren't for the holidays and the events, none of us would be in business in Dayton- none of the retailers."