By MOLLY DAVIDSON / Staff Writer

PELHAM—Santa will no longer do his traditional Christmas Eve drive by through Pelham, Mayor Gary Waters announced on April 22. Instead, residents can find Santa at “strategically placed Santa stops” around the city.

“Logistically we can’t do it like we have in the past anymore,” Water said, adding that he expects residents to be very unhappy with the decision.

Due to the growth of Pelham, the longstanding Christmas tradition that used to take one fire truck one hour when it began now takes six trucks more than six hours to visit every house, Waters said.

“People will have to make an effort to see Santa now,” Waters said, noting that the new Santa locations will be posted in August, giving residents time to plan accordingly.