Idaho Falls

54 IDAHO FALLS MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2019 A lot of what makes the holidays special are the traditions that we associate with them. Many of these tradi- tions are personal and only shared with our friends and loved ones, and others are more cultural that we share with a larger com- munity. For years, Idaho Falls was fortunate enough to have someone who was able to create a tradition that combined the two and made Idaho Falls a much more festive and warmer place during the cold month of December. This essay is a tribute to Joel Sanda, the man who made the spirit of Christmas come alive in Idaho Falls. There are lots of folks that do incredible outdoor displays for Christmas. There is one house on Boulevard that every year has a beautiful light display that people are welcome to drive through their driveway to enjoy. Another house on the westside has an incredible computerized changing light display that is synced to music that you can tune in on your car radio. People come from all around to park and watch, often to the chagrin of neighbors whose driveways get blocked. While these are all wonderful gestures that benefit the community and create tra- ditions, Joel Sanda made things personal by inviting hundreds of strangers into his home each night during the holiday sea- Ode to Joel son. For those who never experienced it, it is difficult to describe. Imagine Macy's holiday window displays jammed into someone's living room, bedrooms and basement. Joel used numerous model train sets to tie all the displays together, even cutting holes in walls so the trains could run from room to room! Every night Joel would man the train control board and welcome visitors to his home for hours on end. He always took extra time to point out all the wonderful attractions to the little ones. Best of all, he did this for free! Families, mine included, made it a holiday tradition to visit Joel Sanda's. Often strang- ers would wait out in front of his home, lined up for an hour or more with no complaining. At times, people would break into spontaneous singing to the Christmas carols that he had piped to speakers on his front lawn. Once inside his home, they would patiently snake from room to room checking out the holiday scenes, oohing and aahing over new additions donated by thankful patrons and enjoying favorite displays like the winter carnival and Halloween themes. Every year, Joel would scatter a dozen monkeys throughout the dis- plays and it was always a family competition to find them. I was always amazed at how Joel was able to pull the whole production off year after year. The incredible thing was that he did it in his actual home and not in some sterile vacant storefront. I remember following the procession through his kitchen, where there was still mail on his counter and food in the fridge. I wonder how much of his stuff "disap- peared" over the years due to Grinches that had yet to be transformed. Whatever the losses and the toll on his carpets and walls, Joel kept doing his Christmas extravaganza as long as his health would allow. Joel may be gone now but I'm sure that the spark of holiday cheer that he kindled in so many hearts still blazes to life each December and helps to make Idaho Falls a more joyous place. Single individuals like Joel can leave a tremendous mark on their communities through their dedication and passion. Sometimes we may not know their names, but we know their good works. Another individual who has done a great deal for the community but is often unsung is Steve Smede, Editor of Idaho Falls Magazine. Steve is moving on, but he used Idaho Falls Magazine as a way to invite people to learn more about the community and cre- ate traditions. I appreciate all he has done, especially allowing me to wander unfettered on my personal written ramblings. Thanks for everything Steve. IF BY GREGG LOSINSKI

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