Hundreds Turn Out in North City to See Water Tower Light Up and to Visit Santa

The 14th annual lighting of a "tree" atop the Shoreline Water District tower in North City took place Saturday night in Shoreline, attracting several hundred people to the Les Schwab parking lot, many of them families with children

The 25-foot "tree" created using strings of lights was topped by a star with chaser lights that ran around the outline of the star. It was lit up a little after 6:30 p.m. The water tower is 105 feet tall, 600 feet above sea level and doubles as a wireless tower, which brings in significant revenue for the Water District.

Six Shoreline Water District employees, Toby Bigger, Mike Oberstadt, Bob Heivilin, Austin Huegill, Harold Berge and Jesse Foss climbed the steps to the top of the water tower and spent five hours earlier in the week stringing the lights up in a tree pattern.

They also turned a water district truck into Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer with a red lighted nose and lighted antlers made out of poly pipe sticking out of the bed.

Dozens of families lined up to sit on Santa's lap and have their pictures taken for free thanks to Walgreen's North City store. The elves helping out were Water District employees as well. 

"The whole district gets into it," said Shoreline Water District Commissioner Charlotte Haines. "It's their gift for the community." 

The North City Business Association donated cookies, coffee and toys for the children and the Ridgecrest Neighborhood Association also supported the effort and collected canned and boxed food for Hopelink.