THARPTOWN - The deer that spend time at the Tharptown playground each Christmas season will have new folks watching over them from now on.
Loretta Polyniak, longtime caretaker, is retiring after many years of hard but rewarding work. She recently told Coal Township commissioners of her decision.
"It's sad to say good-bye," she said in an interview this week.
Polyniak said she will miss being involved in the holiday tradition, but health reasons are making the decision necessary.
The annual care of the European deer, which are leased from Lake Tobias in Halifax, is no easy task. They need feedings, water and their pen cleaned out every day, no matter how cold, snowy or icy the weather gets, she said.
Although it was rough at times, Polyniak said she enjoyed it - and has quite a few stories to tell, including how the deer would dig into her pockets looking for treats, or the time one of the deer came up behind her, lifted her up, carried her around and abruptly dropped her, much to the enjoyment of visitors.
Polyniak said township commissioners have been great supporters through the years, supplying material for the Santa House, lights and - this year - several new spotlights and electrical cords.
The new caretakers
Scott Dunn has been displaying his hand-carved Christmas characters and other holiday decorations at the expansive playground for 14 years, although his 14-year-old son Jared has taken over the majority of the work over the past few years. When Polyniak told them that she was going to retire, the Dunns immediately volunteered to take over the care of the deer as well.
Jared will now be in charge of decorating the pen and surrounding area. Polyniak said she wanted to let him use his own imagination in designing it, and not force her ideas on him. She said she asked how he would like to visualize it, offering suggestions, but allowing him to create the atmosphere he wanted.
Polyniak said Jared works tirelessly on the playground. She even spotted him out in the rain working on displays.
Besides the free-hand wooden characters, the father-and-son team sets up more than 50 lighted blow molds, a Nativity scene and the "mega tree" of lights.
Polyniak can't say enough about the hard work Jared has been doing at the park, and said she has every confidence that he and his father will do a great job caring for the deer.
Polyniak noted that the deer prefer cranberries instead of carrots and celery. Local children knew to go right to her house, where she kept a supply of cranberries for them to feed to the deer. She said that last year she went through 20 bags. She always enjoyed the looks on the children's faces when the deer took food from their hands.
Opens Saturday
The grand opening of the display will take place around 6 p.m. today, after the Downtown Christmas celebration (scheduled from 2 to 6 p.m.) wraps up in Shamokin. Santa will be in the Santa House for children to put in their gift requests. Candy canes and hot chocolate will be available, too.