A look back: Dec. 21, 1972

Santa Claus had some trouble completing his appointed rounds in the Hauto area last night when his trailer-mounted sleigh, pulled by a four-wheel drive Jeep, got stuck in the mud.

Rudy Polakovic of Seventh Avenue, Hauto Valley Estates, said the Panther Valley Jaycees’ Santa was delayed a half-hour in getting to his house because of “12 inches of mud.”

Polakovic said the mud is a long-standing condition of the road despite repeated complaints. He said Santa’s trailer had to be backed down a hill and traveled over another road to reach Route 54, but the dilemma caused Santa to have to make his trip to the family residence on foot from the highway.