Elf of the Year Announcement

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In a final wrap to the 2024 Christmas season I am pleased to announce the Elf of the Year.

Elf of the Year

This year’s honoree is known to just about everyone. In fact, when I asked for recommendations from the Elf Community I was overwhelmed with the number of people suggesting this one particular elf.

This elf is likewise highly recommended by other key elves you know. He was recommended by Elf Ed Zachary, Elf Moe, Elf Max, Elf Frank Myrrh. And he carries my hearty endorsement as well.

This is not a popularity contest. This is recognition of elves who go above and beyond to serve the elf community with their talents and their Christmas Spirit. This is a serious award, one that is duplicated in departments all over the North Pole.

For example, just this week, Elf Bernard at Santa’s Workshop named the Elf of the Year in the Workshop an elf who goes by the name of Elf Dave “The Whistler” Jepsen. He’s called the Whistler because that’s what he does while he works. He’s always bright, positive and filled with Christmas Spirit. He lifts the elves around him.

That’s what the Elf of the Year here does for us too as part of the tracker elf community. He constantly looks at the bright side of things and he works hard to keep spirits up.

He is anxious to serve. He wants everyone to have a good time with their Christmas celebration, no matter how they celebrate it. He jumps to aid new elves and works hard to acknowledge elves with experience. Year round he is here, spreading a vital influence and doing all he can to help people understand Santa and how tracking Santa for Santa works.

Speaking of Santa, when I presented him with the list of candidates after weeks of talking to people, he very anxiously said: I hope Elf Westover is at the top of the list.

Elf Westover is our Elf of the Year. He is a tracker elf in Sector 5, a member of the Senior Elf Board here at SantaTrackers.net, and a news caster and podcaster for the North Pole News Department.

We thank him for his many efforts and for all the time he puts in for Operation Merry Christmas. He works on it year round, despite keeping a busy schedule.

He’s a young man, but our newest Senior Elf. He has a very mature sense of giving. He asks regular and good questions. He is eager to help in any way we ask.

He is also so very patient with the North Pole Elves he works with. He is part of the North Pole News Department, which is no easy thing considering he’s NOT at the North Pole. He has to wait on us for answers.

But nothing phases him. He’s patient, kind and helpful.

I personally believe he’s got a bright elf future. When I tell people of a great example of an elf who follows the Elf Code I always point them to Elf Westover here at SantaTrackers.net.

Elf Westover, thank you for your service. We enjoy your enthusiasm, your ideas and your constant desire to do good things. Your talents in writing news, presenting videos and group leadership will be valued a great deal in the years ahead.

Please join me in congratulating Elf Westover as our Elf of the Year.

Sector 5 is in the Red Zone

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Ok guys, as always, we’re last. But, we’re the best. Flight Command just got off the horn and they confirm we are now in the Red Zone.

Since most of you are hopefully asleep (we have a LONG day ahead of us), there is nothing for you to do right now. So if you stayed up for this announcement, I’m sorry.

Santa will hit the skies soon, that may change things.

But it really won’t be until later tomorrow that Santa gets close to us. So we have to wait and watch. I’ll let you know what they want of us!

Instructions from Flight Command

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Elves, Trackers and Believers Worldwide:

No doubt you have heard the news of challenges we have had this past week with Operation Airlift. The news coming out of Flight Command in recent hours has not been any better.

While I am unable to give you an estimate of exactly how far behind we are I can provide you with information of how we are going to deal with this problem. As elves, working together around the world, we are confident we can help Santa deliver on time and safely, regardless of the weather.

Here is the challenge: Operation Airlift is 100% to Sectors 1, 2 and 3. We have deliberately distributed what Santa needs to those sectors first.

That does not mean we can have trackers and support personnel in Sectors 1,2 and 3 rest easy, however. We need you more than ever.

Why?

Because Elf Buck Sanchez and his team in flight operations at the North Pole are changing tactics in their struggle to get sleighs out. We have expanded sleigh launches from the Sleigh Barn and the Reindeer Barn, in addition to what you have heard about the Field House at North Pole High School. We are also working still to free a runway at the Sleigh Port to launch sleighs as well.

That multi-front operation means sleighs are leaving the North Pole under challenging storm conditions in every direction. That means those sleighs, as the surface above the storm, are headed into every sector. This will be true for the next 18 hours at least.

This is not our preferred method of doing this. We are working the sleigh traffic controllers at Flight Command, in every Regional Tracking Center, and on every ship of the North Pole Navy, at a highly complex level.

There are, as of right now, more sleighs in the skies than there ever have been in history. That number will increase and peak in the hours ahead.

Bearing all that in mind, please make it a REGULAR habit today to watch the skies where you are, day and night. If you see what you think is a sleigh, take photos or videos and submit it.

But more important than sleighs, and this is very unusual, is your observance of  ALL AIR TRAFFIC.

I want all elves in each sector, where possible, to submit an AIR TRAFFIC report every six hours. I know this is asking a lot.

In addition, please keep weather reports coming every six hours as well. In fact, do both reports and submit them at the same time.

We’re not just trying to help Santa here: we’re trying to help every sleigh pilot up there in every area as well as every sleigh traffic controller.

I hope this instruction is clear.

If you have questions, please use the comment area below.

Thanks!

Trackers in North and Central America Check In

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At last! We can now check in in Sector 5!

Spotlight on Sector 5

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I just got out of a long meeting with Elf Roger Star, Elf Buck Sanchez and Elf Crash Murphy at North Pole Flight Command.

I was up there at the North Pole to more fully understand what the next five days will be like. I have not been at the North Pole for several weeks and let me tell you I was shocked by what I saw. The snow is just incredible. I don’t know how those people are EVER going to dig out.

What I learned is important for you to understand: we are Sector 5, Santa’s last stop. That means a lot of things.

Operation Airlift, as Elf Ed Zachary explained, is complex. Normally they have a plan for each sector and they overlap. On Christmas Eve, in any given hour, sleighs launch from the North Pole to every sector.

With the weather this week they changed their strategy. They have been sending out all sleighs according to location. In other words, everything that will be needed, for now, in Sector 1, has been dispatched and delivered. If Santa left the North Pole right now, he’s be ready to deliver to Sector 1 just fine. Everything needed for Sector 1 is now where it needs to be, just as if today were Christmas Eve.

For Sector 5 – NOTHING has yet to be set up with Operation Airlift. That’s because Flight Command decided to re-order the shipment of things according to location.

As of this morning, all of Sector 1 and most of Sector 2 has been delivered. They hope to have everything for Sector 2 done late tonight.

That leaves Sectors 3 and 4 ahead of us. And then we’re last.

That makes me really nervous.

But, as I look at the countdown we will have Friday, Saturday, Sunday AND Monday to get everything set for Sectors 3,4, and 5. We SHOULD be okay.

Ok, that’s Operation Airlift. But what does all this mean for us?

Well, where I’m coming from I totally agree with Elf Crash moving up the check-in process. It gives us more time to help.

I spoke with Elf Buck specifically about needs outside of the North Pole and he was very direct. Any and all information we send them is useful for EVERY sleigh being sent from the North Pole, not just Santa. From Sunday forward nearly every sleigh will be dedicated to Sector 5.

So…..

We’re going to flood them with information and I’m going to be very direct with you come Saturday and Sunday about what we can do. I’ll likely be more specific than I have ever been in giving you our needs.

We don’t need canned weather reports or links. We will need you to actually go outside and LOOK on the weather. Take pictures. Share what you see. Weather will be far be the most important.

Sleighs might be really visible come late Saturday and into Sunday. Keep an eye out.

We’re last, guys. That means the spotlight is on us. Let’s show them all what we can do.

Submit Questions for Elf Crash

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Elf Crash Murphy, International Director of Santa Trackers, has informed me that a lot of effort will be made before Santa launches to answer your questions.

There will be the North Pole Chat on Sunday at 10AM EST as well as late news being posted on all official North Pole websites all weekend. Crash also says he and Frank will do a podcast that focuses on the current needs Santa has as well as the questions you might have.

Please respond to this post below with questions you want to submit. You can alternatively send them to me via Private Message (for North Pole Elves part of the Elf Community).

We want to take questions from ALL tracker elves tracking Santa for Santa, so please use the comment area below to ask.

I think Elf Frank and Elf Crash plan to release that podcast sometime on Saturday, so you’ve got plenty of time to ask your questions.

Thanks!

Schedule Change Announcement

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Due to circumstances related to Operation Airlift we have decided to move up the check-in process worldwide.

Check-ins will be announced via your Elf Supervisor beginning on Saturday, December 21st instead of our original plan of the 22nd.

Tracker Check-in is a process that tells your Elf Supervisor that you are or are not available to work tracking Santa for Santa.

We remind you that Santa is very concerned for your time with your family during this important season. As such, do not feel bad if you cannot be available all the time between the 21st and when Santa arrives at your home.

We appreciate what time you can dedicate to the cause of tracking Santa for Santa.

It is anticipated that this weekend will be filled with news and direction from the Elf Supervisors.

We invite you to participate, if your schedule allows, in the scheduled North Pole chat set for Sunday, December 22nd. I will be hosting that chat and will be able to share and answer questions about the latest in the status of Operation Merry Christmas.

Operation Airlift is off schedule. North Pole Flight Command has had to modify their original plans due to difficulties in getting sleighs launched from the North Pole.

As such, we anticipate this weekend will be filled with a lot of breaking news. We may be asking for reports or observations from local areas that go beyond the norm.

If time allows, Elf Frank and I will likely release a new SantaTrackers.net Podcast to discuss issues this weekend as well.

I encourage you all to read what Elf Ed Zachary posted earlier today. It may help you understand the challenges we are facing as a team in helping Santa get around the world.

As for Santa, he is well aware of the situation and is monitoring things. He plans to continue his visits with believers. At this time, he does not plan a return to the North Pole at a different time than scheduled. He continues to check in with Elf Roger Star on the status of Operation Airlift.

Santa has instructed me to check in with him every 12 hours. Those quick check-ins are by phone and I remain ready to not only forward our questions and concerns to Santa but also to receive his direction.

I will be posting as needed over the next several days so that you know what is going on and how you can help during this time.

Thank you.

Weather Becoming a Focus

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As you can see from the news out of Santa Update today the weather is becoming more and more of a focus. I know it may seem boring and tedious to some of you but we really need some regular weather updates from every area. Here’s the link to the weather report.

The frequency of weather reports, due more to Operation Air Lift than Santa’s flight right now, should be about three days or whenever there is a shift in your local forecast.

If you listened to Elves Frank and Crash today you can tell they are concerned. The concern is 10x at Flight Command and next week is going to be super busy in the skies, if they can get the sleighs off the ground.

To me, after years of experience doing this, I sense they are going to need more from us than normal.

You can expect calls for landing zone reports, transit reports and air traffic reports. It’s coming I can feel it.

For those elves who are new and have not done it, please get your roof reports and chimney reports in first thing.

It’s crunch time, elves.

Important: Local Christmas Report Needed

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North Pole Flight Command has issued an urgent request for a Local Christmas Report from all areas. You can fill out the report right here.

I’ll just tell you straight up that they are very concerned about the Christmas Spirit. This comes straight from the top, from Santa himself.

This report relies on your opinion. Don’t be shy is sharing it. Tell us about the Christmas spirit in the area where you are.

I’m not sure why this is important right now but this was asked of all elves in every sector.

Let’s get to work on this report.

Thanks.

Use the Sleigh Sighting Report

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Elves, as a reminder, if you see something in the sky you think might be a sleigh – please use the Sleigh Sighting report.

We are getting a higher level of possible sightings these days, powered by Operation Airlift, the test flights of Santa’s sleigh, and all the purported UFO activity out there. Elves are seeing things but they are not sure what they are.

That’s fine. If it’s a sleigh or you think it is a sleigh, please use the Slight Sighting Report found at this link. We can try to chase it down for you to confirm it or not.

Just like every other sector we have yet to have a confirmed sighting this year. But the possibility of sighting a sleigh goes up every day between now and Christmas. It’s going to happen eventually.

Freelance elves, please use your standard report.

Any report that provides photos or videos get a BIG bonus!

Drones in Sector 5

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Hello Elves of Sector 5,

Elf Rolf posted about UFOs in Sector 3 yesterday and no sooner did he do that than new reports started to come in from elves in our Sector. The activity in New Jersey has especially resulted in a lot of reports. Here is one image that was sent us of what is being seen in New Jersey:

Drones

One tracker elf we talked to who personally has witnessed these drones says that they are there in the skies all night, moving back and forth. They hover a lot. They do move some but largely just sit in one spot.

He described them as having a propeller noise or some kind of engine. They could be as big as a car, he said.

With these reports have come a lot of questions to North Pole Flight Command and to the Regional Tracking Center here in St. Nicholas.

Does the North Pole have drones? Yes, we do. But, they are not this size and they do NOT have these colors of lights. The North Pole has not dispatched any drones outside of North Pole air space since last Christmas and currently does not have any drones deployed anywhere in the world.

Does Santa’s sleigh look like these drones so many are seeing? NO. Lights on ALL North Pole sleighs are larger and brighter. Typically they are all white lights. They front from front to back of the sleigh, and along the bridle lines to the reindeer. So a North Pole sleigh in the sky will appear as a long floating string of lights.

So far, nothing that has been captured of these drones could ever be confused with a genuine North Pole sleigh.

We are monitoring events with the drones/UFOs in North America. We are seeing reports from California, Arizona, Colorado, Texas, New Jersey and spot locations up in Canada. There is no pattern and no air activity related to the North Pole in any of these sightings.

Please continue to report what you see. We will do our best to confirm whether or not what you are seeing is North Pole connected. So far this week, none of what is being reported can by confirmed by North Pole Flight Command.

Elfie Selfies Wanted

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Hello Sector 5,

I’ve been doing some research here, just comparing where we are now to this same date a year ago.

We are actually ahead in our elf count – more elves this year than last year by about 2%. We have an increase of 16% in freelance elves and a drop, actually, of North Pole tracker elves of about 3%.

I’m not worried about that. We’ll top out better than 30 million total elves by the time Santa takes off.

What I’m a little concerned about is that we are down on roof reports by about 8%. I know we’ll see a rush over the next few weeks, so I’ll just keep an eye on it for now. But if you’re new and have not yet sent in a roof report, please do so.

By the way, a shout out to all those great elves on the Elf Wall helping all the new elves out. You’re doing a great job and I thank  you!

Also, I’m working on putting up photos of as many of our Sector 5 elves as we can. I have a big wall inside the Tracking Center here in Minnesota that I’m putting Elfie Selfies on so our team here knows what you all look like.

If you haven’t done so already, can you please send in a selfie so we can add your smiling face to our wall? Here’s the form to send it in.

Thanks!