Sacked Santa Back Quick as a Wink : Outcry Persuades Mall to Overlook White-Beard Clause

Santa Claus returned to work Saturday--blond, rested and ready.

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“It feels good to be back,” said Claus, days after being fired by Mission Viejo Mall officials who found his beard a bit too amber.

In response to the tremendous public outcry that followed his dismissal, officials announced Friday that they would reinstate the world’s most prolific present-giver.

“We’ve received hundreds of calls,’ said mall spokeswoman Isabel Dixon, explaining the hasty decision to bring Santa back.

Children: Stop reading here.

Richard Lintz, the Los Angeles actor who supplements his Social Security checks with a quasi-career as Santa Claus, seemed happy to be back in his Santa suit, happy to have children (and some parents) clambering aboard his velvet-covered knee.

“No trouble at all,” Lintz said as one more two-foot visitor toddled away, confident her toy request had been heard by the real McCoy.

To allay public fears, Lintz assured people that the last few days have not been overly traumatic.

After 68 Christmases, he’s fostered an innate faith in the unseen powers of the season.

“I take everything with a grain of salt,” he said. “Nothing bothers me.”

Nothing about Lintz bothered the parents and children who waited up to an hour for a brief audience with him.

Perhaps only in California could there be a blond Santa, and only in California would people embrace him so.

“He gets our vote!” said Theresa Miuccio, whose grandchildren found Santa charming, and loved the candy bars and coloring books he gave them.

“His beard’s a little yellow,” said Betty Gordy.

“But it’s real!” said her husband, John.

The Gordys brought their granddaughter, 4-year-old Christina Mendoza, for a toy conference with Santa, just as Alisa Vanschik brought her 4-year-old son, Jake.

“Is this Santa real?” Jake asked his mother.

“You never know,” she told him, cautious because the boy was remembering all the other Santas he had seen throughout the day at various Orange County malls.

Not everyone fell into Lintz’s arms, however.

Connor Galligan, 1 year old, took a long, careful look at Lintz’s face and began to scream for his life.

It wasn’t just the beard that appalled the boy, but the gleaming eyes, the red suit, the rosy cheeks. Where others saw Santa, Connor apparently saw Satan.

When authorities and parents did not come quickly enough to his aid, Connor took matters into his own hands, hauling off and giving Santa a good, hard shot to the kisser, which knocked Santa’s reading glasses off his nose.

“That was interesting,” said Connor’s mother, Debbie, once the combatants were separated and calm was restored. “He loves people, but he hit Santa.”

“You’ve got to admit,” said Connor’s father, Rich, rushing to his son’s defense. “That guy is kind of scary.”