Santa preserves holiday spirit in Eldred

Lou Monteleone’s dream comes true

By LISA CUTRONI

ELDRED, NY — Anticipation was growing in the frigid night air as hundreds gathered in the heart of Eldred. They were awaiting a early December 17 visit from Santa, who was due on a 40-foot lighted sleigh, accompanied by a plethora of holiday characters.

The event was the culmination of a vision that Eldred Preserve facilities manager Lou Monteleone experienced three years ago. As he readied himself in the morning, he had no idea how the evening would turn out. All Monteleone knew was that “there was a buzz around town.”

That buzz turned to uproar as Monteleone pulled into Pecks Market in Eldred, the first of four planned evening stops.

“I just knew if we did it right it would be exactly how I pictured it, and that’s how it turned out. I could see the people from Pecks. I could just hear them. I can’t tell you the feeling I had as we were pulling in there,” Monteleone said.

Monteleone, playing Santa Claus, sat atop the sleigh with full-sized holiday characters: Rudolph-the-Red-Nosed-Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, the Gingerbread Man, the Christmas Mouse, the Toy Soldier and two elves. The costumed community volunteers handed out cookies and candy canes to the outstretched hands of the waiting children.

Tara Contrera, a senior at Eldred Central School sang “Merry Christmas Darling” by the Carpenters, supported by a 1,000-watt sound system Monteleone installed in the musical and lit sleigh, driven by Lou’s brother Frank.

“I could have gone everywhere and it was getting colder. But when it was all over with, it was worth everything I thought it would be,” Monteleone said.

The group visited Pecks Market in Eldred, Circle Park in Glen Spey, the four corners in Barryville and the ballpark in Yulan.

“I just love this time of year. I love watching their [children’s] faces light up. They absolutely believe,” Monteleone said,

“I was shocked at the number of people at Pecks, there where a couple of dozen at the other spots. It was 30 miles all together, we stayed [on the sleigh] the whole time, and it was just incredibly, seeing the kids watching from their windows, I can’t explain the magical feeling,” Monteleone said.

“It’s a very nice community event,” Lucille Zimmerman said, as children lined up to meet Santa. Zimmerman’s husband, Highland Town Board member, Paul, added “what a wonderful gift it was to give the area.”

Next year, Monteleone plans to make a few performance changes; perhaps, having a radio station assist with broadcasting his whereabouts to residents and adopting “Santa Stop” signs. He does not plan to change the event theme: promoting innocence and imagination in children.

The crowd heard him exclaim as he pulled out of Peck’s “Okay Rudolph, let’s go. Merry Christmas.”