Document text
1 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Rains cause flooding in Portland area ... Medford man keeps late brother's love of Christmas alive — with lights ... Medford's first legal medical marijuana dispensary opens its doors ... Rains cause flooding in Portland area ... Medford man keeps late brother's love of Christmas alive — with lights ... Medford's first legal medical marijuana dispensary opens its doors ... MEDFORD Kids meet Santa, hunt for candy canes at Medford's Winter Lights Festival Comment By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat MailTribune.com By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat Posted Dec. 5, 2015 at 7:52 PM By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat Posted Dec. 5, 2015 at 7:52 PM » Social News After waiting inside the Sky Oak Financial building Saturday evening for their visit with Jolly Old St. Nick, Madison Short of Medford was jumping with excitement as he exited the stage and entered the building. "He's here!" she shouted to Savanna Ponciroli, 11, of Medford. "Savanna, Savanna, Santa's here!" For Madison's parents, Amanda and Sid Short, their young daughter's newfound Santa fandom was a contrast from the year before. "Last year she wouldn't even go near him," Amanda Short said. When asked what she planned to ask Santa for Christmas, she was confident in her answer. "Roller kates, " she said. Considering that the man makes his list and checks it twice, Santa was just as thorough ensuring Madison's Christmas list was accurate. "Did you mean Rollerblades or roller skates," Santa asked her as the family snapped photos. "Roller skates," she decided after given the choice. Just prior to Santa's arrival, Savanna Ponciroli wasn't sure what she wanted to ask him for. Thankfully, her mind was made up with minutes to spare. "A remote-control car," she said as she stirred a candy cane in her hot chocolate. When pressed if any remote control car would do, she got more decisive. "A purple Jeep," Ponciroli decided confidently. Santa again did his due diligence with all the commotion and ensured he heard "Jeep," not a "cheap" remote controlled car. Next in line was Elysia Ayres, 8, of Medford, who had a brief moment of stage fright when the big moment with the big man came. Thankfully, the opportunity didn't pass her by. "Hold on, I forget," she told Santa before asking her mother, Crystal Ayres. She had briefly forgotten the word "calligraphy," but knew the set she wanted was at Barnes and Noble. Her younger sister Lyra, 6, asked Santa for "magic eraser markers." Crystal pursed her lips for Lyra, unsure if Santa could find them, but certain that he'd try. First in line to see Santa was Koen Scheidegger, 4, who was with his sister, Greta, 2, and parents Travis and Amy Scheidegger of Central Point. He asked for a "Spiderman Car" and a "Batman Cave." At first it sounded like Greta asked for "a doughnut," but after repeating herself, Amy heard correctly that she was asking for "Octonauts" — toys based on the educational TV series. Outside kids and parents braved the cold, windy weather waiting for Santa to light the Norway spruce. After participating in the Candy Cane Hunt earlier in the afternoon, Connor Calkin, 2, of Medford, presented the seven candy canes he gathered to his mother, Lacey Calkin. It was his first candy cane, and he was unsure how to enjoy the miniature cane. Lacey took off a small bite of the Spangler miniature to demonstrate before giving it to him. After the first cane fell on the ground, Lacey opened a second one for Connor, and he asked her to bite it again. His sister, Paisley, 4, was participating in the next wave. She said it's their second time at the festival in three years. "It's always cold, though," Lacey Calkin said. —Reach reporter Nick Morgan at 541-776-4471 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @MTCrimeBeat. By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat MailTribune.com By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat Posted Dec. 5, 2015 at 7:52 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501