City officials celebrate the season
(File photo by MARY MALONE) Sandpoint City Council adopted a preliminary budget of $40.1 million Wednesday, which will be discussed at a workshop Aug. 2 before a final budget is adopted Aug. 16.
SANDPOINT — At the heart of holidays like Christmas are traditions that often play a crucial role in defining a tapestry of memories for each individual.
This year, city officials reflected on their favorite traditions and most memorable gifts across their lifetimes.
Jason Welker, Sandpoint city councilor, said he has fond memories of his family’s Christmas-themed scavenger hunts.
“Every year when I was a kid, my dad would organize a Christmas morning scavenger hunt with clues embedded in the text of ‘The Night before Christmas’ storybook,” Welker said. “Each clue would lead us to a different hiding spot somewhere in our house, where there would be a small present and another clue. My dad still organizes the scavenger hunt, but for his three grandkids, these days. I'm looking forward to seeing my daughter and her cousins complete the Christmas morning challenge next week.”
Councilor Joel Aispuro said, for the past nine years, his family and friends have reenacted and narrated the nativity.
“It’s fun to look back on videos to see how much our kids have grown,” he said.
Sandpoint City Administrator Jennifer Stapleton’s extended family gathers for a seafood dinner every Christmas Eve.
“For many years, that has included my parents, my brother and sister and their spouses and 11 grandchildren, between the three of us, as well as longtime friends we consider family,” she said.
Future mayor Jeremy Grimm said his family doesn’t have many Christmas traditions, but they do enjoy cheese fondue after Christmas Eve service — a tradition they began in 2004.
Some memories are affected by the thoughtfulness and love ingrained in the gifts each receives.
A stuffed eagle, given to him by his wife, carries great sentiment for Aispuro.
“It was a reminder of a Bible verse — ‘But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength,” he said. “They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31.”
Handmade gifts, like jewelry made by Stapleton’s grandfather, have made an impact on her.
Grim has also received a gift passed down from generations before — his great-grandfather’s pocket watch from the 1860s.
“He had it on him when he died and, although I never met him, observing the worn watch with nicks and scrapes and smooth areas makes me feel connected,” he said. “On top of that, it still keeps great time.”