SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2020 • HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS, DAILY COURIER, Grants Pass, Oregon 29 Happy Happy HH o o lid lid a a y y s s frofro m m YourYour Local Local RealReal EstateEstate ProfessionalsProfessionals

Season’s Season’s Greetings Greetings! ! Warmest Warmest wisheswishes fofo r r thisthis DAVID ZALUBOWSKI/Associated Press H H olida olida y y SeaSea son son andand thethe NewNew Year.Year. Monitors are illuminated in the NORAD Tracks Santa center at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The North American Aero- space Defense Command has announced they will track Santa on Dec. Cindy Dutton Interest Rates Are Low ! Oregon Broker 24, just as it has done for 65 years. But there will be some changes: Not Lic.#201237506 Great Time to Bu y or Sell! every child will be able to get through to a volunteer at NORAD’s call cen- ter to check on Santa’s whereabouts, as they have in years before. Call or text me tod ay!

331 NE 6th St., Grants Pass • VianetRealty.com 541-659-9992 NORAD to track Happy Holidays Santa again this year From the Martins By Lolita C. Baldor ed update on Santa’s current location. at Associated Press Schlachter said NORAD will largely be limiting volunteers to people who already WASHINGTON — Children of the world work there and their immediate families. can rest easy. The global pandemic won’t But that could be expanded a bit as the stop them from tracking Santa Claus’ time gets closer. He said that this year vol- COLENE MARTIN , Broker 705 NE 7th Street RON MARTIN , Broker progress as he delivers gifts around the unteers will answer health questions and 54 1 .44 1.2597 54 1 .44 1 .2649 [email protected] Grants Pass [email protected] globe on Christmas Eve. have their temperature checked when they Licensed in the State of Oregon Licensed in the State of Oregon The North American Aerospace arrive, and a cleaning crew will wipe Defense Command has announced that down surfaces throughout the day. There NORAD will track Santa on Dec. 24, just will be wipes and other supplies available, as it has done for 65 years. and between shifts the entire calling area But there will be some changes: Not will be sanitized before the next group every child will be able to get through to a comes in. May your lives be filled volunteer at NORAD’s call center to check Faced with concerns about the virus, with love and joy, and on Santa’s whereabouts, as they have in officials at NORAD have worked for weeks may your home be a years before. to figure out a way to ensure that the Normally, 150-160 volunteers crowd into much-beloved tradition could go on. place of respite and a conference room at Peterson Air Force The military command has been field- solace during this Base in Colorado Springs, taking two-hour ing calls since 1955, when Air Force Col. shifts to answer the phones as eager chil- Harry Shoup — the commander on duty at holiday season. dren call to see if Santa and his sleigh NORAD’s predecessor, the Continental Air Wishing you a happier Melinda Peterson have reached their rooftops. All together, Defense Command — fielded a call from a & healthier 2021 Oregon Principal Broker 1,500 people over 20 hours have participat- child who dialed a misprinted telephone 243 NE C St., Grants Pass 541-659-1620 ed in the call center in the past, fielding number in a newspaper department store www.BuyInOregon.com ~ Melinda more than 130,000 phone calls, beginning ad, thinking she was calling Santa. at 6 a.m. Eastern time on Christmas Eve. A fast-thinking Shoup quickly assured This year, due to safety restrictions his caller that he was. And the tradition forced by the COVID-19 pandemic, the began. HHappyappy HolidaysHolidays number of volunteers has been drastically Today, most early calls come from cut to what NORAD expects will be fewer Japan and Europe, and as the day goes on than 10 people per shift. the callers from the U.S. and Canada climb. “We understand this is a time-honored Besides the call center, the NORAD tradition, and we know undoubtedly there Tracks Santa website — noradsanta.org — is going to be some disappointment,” said as well as social media pages, Amazon NORAD spokesman Preston Schlachter. Alexa, Onstar and a new mobile app will “But we’re trying to keep it safe for every- still be available with up-to-the-minute Larry Vellozzi | BROKER/OWNER one involved.” details on Santa’s location. A social media 541-660-08 1 1 So, some callers may be able to once team will operate from a separate confer- [email protected] again get through to a member of the mili- ence room at the base. 414 NE E Street tary or other volunteer when they dial the The 2020 tracking Santa apps will soon Grants Pass, OR 97526 NORAD Tracks Santa toll-free number, 1- be available on Google Play and the Apple 877-Hi-NORAD. But others will get a record- App Store.