It’s Christmas Rhyme: Tense tales add color to holiday rush

Thursday, Dec. 4, 2003 | 8:24 a.m.

'Twas the first week of December and all through the valley, the post office was predicting a foreboding tally.

"Talk about crazy," said Vic Fenimore, spokesman for the Southern Nevada U.S. Postal Service.

"Normally on an average day we'll cancel about 600,000 pieces. Sometimes during the Christmas season we'll go to about 1.5 million pieces a day. That's just letters being collected on a daily basis."

Santas were hired and adorned with white hair, in hopes that St. Nick would be everywhere.

"We have a lot of suits," said Judy Fregin, manager at Williams Costume Co., which rents and sells Santa outfits.

"Calls start coming in around September. We start reserving the day after Thanksgiving. Most are one-day rentals, dads who want to be Santas, people working private parties, corporate parties.

"There's also Mrs. Santas, reindeers, snowmen, elves, shepherds and wise men."

Shoppers were armed with checkbooks and plastic; store clerks and managers were braced for the panic.

"We start thinking about it in September. It starts rolling in October and November," Steve Dohm, manager at Dillards at Boulevard mall, said.

"We do a lot of preparation."

There are kerchiefs for Mom; Dad wants a cap. Slippers for grandma for a long winter's nap.

"Slippers are a good affordable price. Over the years a lot has been added to the mix," Dohm said, referring to the trusty and popular gift.

"There's Isotoners and the cute animal slippers, novelty slippers. The assortment has expanded. Slippers are a good, affordable price. A pair of slippers doesn't have to fit exact. There's a lot of practicality with that gift.

"What's really become a big deal is pre-wrapped gifts. Sweater de-fuzzers, manicure sets, pet stuff, mirrors, compacts. Things for your desk. We sell a lot of that during the holidays."

When from the Conservatory arises a magnificent clatter. Cranes are raised and large crowds are gathered.

"People love to watch it change," said Audra Danzak, director of horticulture at the Bellagio, referring to the Conservatory display that changes from its autumn theme to holiday theme this week.

"That's a show in itself."

Over to store fronts, window painters ran, with big cans of paint and brushes in hand.

"We do about 300 windows," said Genevieve Smith, of Genevieve Smith and Daughters window painters.

"My daughter and I started this business 32 years ago. It just keeps growin' and growin.' I've got five daughters who come to the rescue. They come down from Utah. We make 'em pretty. We put 'Happy Holidays,' that includes everything."

When, what to hotels and offices appear, thousands of poinsettias delivered sincere.

"We're delivering to Lake Las Vegas, Green Valley Ranch ... Everybody's ordering poinsettias. Everybody wants them," said Vivica Alldridge, a plant tech for Lifelike Botanicals, also known as Las Vegas Event Flowers and Decor.

"We're just trying to help our clients decorate for the holidays. Right now, we're delivering 300 by Monday."

With the Eckes in California growing them so quick, they've shipped thousands already in time for St. Nick.

"We ship around 400,000 blossomed poinsettias a year, within six weeks between now and Christmas," said Mike King, spokesman for the Paul Ecke Ranch in Encinitas, Calif., which supplies poinsettias to hotels and high-end florists in Las Vegas.

"We send bloomed poinsettias to California, Arizona and Nevada. We started blooming the crop in September. We start trucking them out on Nov. 18. We'll ship right up to the 24th of December."

More lasting than roses, they'll drop all their reds, but stay green through the year in planters and beds.

"They'll drop the leaves in March. You want to cut them back about 6 inches above the soil to stimulate new growth. Again in July," King said.

"In September you want them in complete darkness for 12 hours a day and cooler temperatures (for the leaves to turn red)."

Now caterers and hosts are entering the game, of chivalry and festivity for the great corporate name.

"My first Christmas parties (were) Dec. 2," said Erica Jenkins, catering manager at Anthem Country Club, which is planning at least 20 holiday parties during the month of December.

"It's about as crazy as it sounds. There's some days when I have more than one party at the same time. We have people who are booking parties for next year.

Employees will dress for a luxurious ball. Dash away, dash away, and get to the hall.

"People tend to do more for holiday parties. They tend to be extravagant. For food, the number one seller is filet mignon."

Parents will wrap presents and let out a sigh, as sales clerks and Santas work until nigh.

"We just have one Santa who works seven days a week 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.," said Andrea Wellborn, manager of Santas Plus, a local company that provides mall Santas.

"All of our Santas are real-bearded Santas, so it gives a very authentic feel to it. True bearded Santas, there's not many of them. It's a big business for them. Most of them have agents."

Gifts are selected and pulled from the shelves, some of them wrapped by store clerks and elves.

"Gift wrap, that's the only place we put temporary staff," Dohm said. "With fragrances, we started wrapping them in early November. We pretty much know what's going to sell."

At Galleria and Sunset, Santa will be there, along with "Bruce the Talking Spruce" and a house band of bears.

"We've got the Sunset Bear Band," Vicki Duncan, marketing director for Galleria at Sunset, said. "We've relocated them right alongside Santa. And Bruce the Talking Spruce, an 8-foot living tree that talks with kids as they come up to him."

The Magical Forest has added news sites, to warm up the masses on cold winter nights.

"We've had about 10,000 people in the last two days," said Linda Smith, chief development officer for Opportunity Village, who 12 years ago began the Magical Forest and Las Vegas tradition.

"We have nightly parades through the forest. We also have the technology to make it snow. So it's snowing in some areas of the forest. There's so many people who want something that reminds them of home."

But soon after Christmas the ornaments come down -- not a high price to pay for the lights and the sounds.

"This is the city of air conditioning," Sonya Headen, spokeswoman for Nevada Power, said. "There's not a rise in cost because our main force is air conditioning. Our biggest demands are in summer."

The day after Christmas and shoppers are out. Returning and buying, all tuckered out.

"The day after Christmas is huge. Also, that day we sell a lot more than is returned that day. It's our biggest transaction day of the year.

The windows are cleaned after the first of the year, but don't look for Genevieve and her daughters -- they disappear.

"We don't clean them," Smith says with a laugh about the painted windows. "Oh no. I tell them we collapse!"

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