Holiday lighting brings out the competitor in homeowners
By Travis Coleman, Journal Staff Writer | Posted: Monday, December 10, 2007
SIOUX CITY -- Although the origin of Christmas decorating isn't widely known, the tradition probably became sport in Siouxland after the Make-A-Wish Foundation began its Lighting Contest 13 years ago.
Since then neighborhoods have formed teams and competitors have concocted strategies to outperform their neighbors.
But it's for a good cause: contestants make a donation to the foundation when entering. They compete by region in three categories: the Home Lighting and Decorating Contest, the Neighborhood Lighting Contest and the ever-popular Clark Griswold Competition.
Judging for this year's contest takes place from 6 to 9 p.m. today.
The winners will be announced Tuesday, with most receiving a prize pack, a spike in their electric bill and bragging rights.
Here are a few of this holiday season's primetime players:
The team
When Rachel Goehring moved into her Cherrywood Lane home, the previous residents left a subtle reminder of the neighborhood's most coveted tradition -- a box of holiday lights.
A clause in the buyer's agreement encouraged Goehring to decorate, as most in this Morningside cul-de-sac enter various neighborhood lighting contests and often win, building up a 15-year dynasty along the way.
Goehring said decorators don't follow a specific theme but most try to be creative. Some use giant signs wishing happy holidays, while others use multicolor lighting schemes to stand out.
But the key to winning is that most of the neighborhood participates.
"We all really get together and enjoy it," Goehring said. "It's such a fun time of the year. You know people are enjoying your work."
Most residents know where Cherrywood Lane is because of their decorations, said Jim Krause, the team's unofficial captain.
Goehring visited Cherrwood Lane to look at the holiday lights when she was younger.
This year she gently reminded a new neighbor that the lighting season was approaching. But there's no pressure to decorate, she said. It's just tradition.
"They got their lights up right away," Goehring said.
Some residents have had decorations vandalized or stolen in recent years. Police reports were filed but no one was ever charged, Krause said. To combat this, some have kept their more expensive decorations closer to the house. But Goehring doesn't see those incidents keeping her from designing.
"We'll definitely do it as long as we live on Cherrywood Lane," Goehring said.
The rookie
Kevin Younger will tell you that he's not setting a good example for his children.
After being sandwiched between two would-be Clark Griswolds for four years, Younger gave into peer pressure from his neighbors this season and intensified the holiday decorating of his house.
His neighbors, Calvin Kubly and Ed Solomon, have had a friendly rivalry over decorations since Solomon moved to the 800 block of Brookside Drive in Jefferson, S.D. in 1999.
They've competed in the Make-A-Wish Lighting Contest's Griswold category, with Kubly finishing first last year and Solomon placing second.
The two don't mind being called Clark Griswolds, as the award named after the National Lampoon character honors residents for their outrageous holiday designs.
After years of competing against one another, they've set out to boost up Younger, the neighbor who lives between them. Younger had put up a few lights in his gutters before, but his neighbors often outshone him with Ferris wheel and carousel displays. Collectively, Kubly and Solomon have used more than 150,000 lights for their designs.
"He had a lot, but compared to us, it wasn't much," Solomon said. "He's caught up now."
The two gave him some lights and a nativity display. They've also helped out other neighbors, as Brookside Drive is entered in the neighborhood lighting contest this year. Solomon said they've scaled back on the decorations this year.
But their yards still feature holograms and a city bus stop converted into a lounging area for Santa and Mrs. Claus.
"Nothing over the top," Solomon said.
The veterans
According to Joan Atwood, anyone can buy decorations. She's more interested in creating a community.
In her front yard at 3500 West Palmer Ave., there are 22 mannequins, each formed with chicken wire and bed padding to celebrate Christmas.
"We slow down traffic on West Fourth St.," said Clair Atwood, Joan's husband. "That's one of the reasons we do it."
Some of Joan's creations include Father Time, a New Year's baby, carolers and Santa and Mrs. Claus. Joan started this hobby 20 years ago, with her first project being a nativity display.
Each mannequin is handmade and ranging in size from 3 feet to 6 feet tall. Most of their clothes are donated or bought at the Goodwill on West Fourth Street. Joan said it takes her about an hour to complete a mannequin. She said she has spent around $250 creating all of them.
"It was just something nobody had," she said.
In one instance, a man donated his hat to the displays and Joan created a mannequin of him, topped with the hat.
"It's the thought behind it," she said.
And Joan said she is not done adding members to her mannequin family.
"People always ask, 'When are you going to add something new?'" Joan said.
The comeback kid
Cindy Hanson wants to do two things before she dies -- be on the CBS reality show "Survivor" and win the Make-A-Wish Foundation's Home Lighting and Decorating Contest.
"I really want to win this contest," said Hanson, who lives at 1312 Edgewater Avenue. "I've been obsessed with this for a long time."
Since she was a child, Hanson has enjoyed decorating for Christmas. She said she liked the joy it would bring to people when they looked at the holiday designs.
"It's kind of a rush," she said.
Hanson first entered the contest nine years ago but lost three consecutive times to a home that used dalmatians in its holiday designs. She quit after her last loss, but her brother Rick Hanson, who lives across the street from her, began beating the dalmatian house after going "hog wild crazy" with his decorations, she said.
With the champ on the ropes and her brother as her corner man, Hanson decided it was time to dust off her Santa displays.
Hanson's brother and the dalmatian house aren't competing in the contest this year, she said, leaving the door open for her to win her first title. Her display is as strong as it's ever been, featuring a giant snowglobe and a 7-foot-tall inflatable reindeer and Santa Claus duo.
"It's like the Super Bowl, except none of the other teams are playing," she said. "If I win, I will freak."
<b>SEE A MAP OF LIGHT DISPLAYS</b>
<a href="/multimedia/lights.php">See our interactive map which includes all entrants in the Make a Wish lighting contest, and add your own lighting display to our holiday lights map.</a>
Since then neighborhoods have formed teams and competitors have concocted strategies to outperform their neighbors.
But it's for a good cause: contestants make a donation to the foundation when entering. They compete by region in three categories: the Home Lighting and Decorating Contest, the Neighborhood Lighting Contest and the ever-popular Clark Griswold Competition.
Judging for this year's contest takes place from 6 to 9 p.m. today.
The winners will be announced Tuesday, with most receiving a prize pack, a spike in their electric bill and bragging rights.
Here are a few of this holiday season's primetime players:
The team
When Rachel Goehring moved into her Cherrywood Lane home, the previous residents left a subtle reminder of the neighborhood's most coveted tradition -- a box of holiday lights.
A clause in the buyer's agreement encouraged Goehring to decorate, as most in this Morningside cul-de-sac enter various neighborhood lighting contests and often win, building up a 15-year dynasty along the way.
Goehring said decorators don't follow a specific theme but most try to be creative. Some use giant signs wishing happy holidays, while others use multicolor lighting schemes to stand out.
But the key to winning is that most of the neighborhood participates.
"We all really get together and enjoy it," Goehring said. "It's such a fun time of the year. You know people are enjoying your work."
Most residents know where Cherrywood Lane is because of their decorations, said Jim Krause, the team's unofficial captain.
Goehring visited Cherrwood Lane to look at the holiday lights when she was younger.
This year she gently reminded a new neighbor that the lighting season was approaching. But there's no pressure to decorate, she said. It's just tradition.
"They got their lights up right away," Goehring said.
Some residents have had decorations vandalized or stolen in recent years. Police reports were filed but no one was ever charged, Krause said. To combat this, some have kept their more expensive decorations closer to the house. But Goehring doesn't see those incidents keeping her from designing.
"We'll definitely do it as long as we live on Cherrywood Lane," Goehring said.
The rookie
Kevin Younger will tell you that he's not setting a good example for his children.
After being sandwiched between two would-be Clark Griswolds for four years, Younger gave into peer pressure from his neighbors this season and intensified the holiday decorating of his house.
His neighbors, Calvin Kubly and Ed Solomon, have had a friendly rivalry over decorations since Solomon moved to the 800 block of Brookside Drive in Jefferson, S.D. in 1999.
They've competed in the Make-A-Wish Lighting Contest's Griswold category, with Kubly finishing first last year and Solomon placing second.
The two don't mind being called Clark Griswolds, as the award named after the National Lampoon character honors residents for their outrageous holiday designs.
After years of competing against one another, they've set out to boost up Younger, the neighbor who lives between them. Younger had put up a few lights in his gutters before, but his neighbors often outshone him with Ferris wheel and carousel displays. Collectively, Kubly and Solomon have used more than 150,000 lights for their designs.
"He had a lot, but compared to us, it wasn't much," Solomon said. "He's caught up now."
The two gave him some lights and a nativity display. They've also helped out other neighbors, as Brookside Drive is entered in the neighborhood lighting contest this year. Solomon said they've scaled back on the decorations this year.
But their yards still feature holograms and a city bus stop converted into a lounging area for Santa and Mrs. Claus.
"Nothing over the top," Solomon said.
The veterans
According to Joan Atwood, anyone can buy decorations. She's more interested in creating a community.
In her front yard at 3500 West Palmer Ave., there are 22 mannequins, each formed with chicken wire and bed padding to celebrate Christmas.
"We slow down traffic on West Fourth St.," said Clair Atwood, Joan's husband. "That's one of the reasons we do it."
Some of Joan's creations include Father Time, a New Year's baby, carolers and Santa and Mrs. Claus. Joan started this hobby 20 years ago, with her first project being a nativity display.
Each mannequin is handmade and ranging in size from 3 feet to 6 feet tall. Most of their clothes are donated or bought at the Goodwill on West Fourth Street. Joan said it takes her about an hour to complete a mannequin. She said she has spent around $250 creating all of them.
"It was just something nobody had," she said.
In one instance, a man donated his hat to the displays and Joan created a mannequin of him, topped with the hat.
"It's the thought behind it," she said.
And Joan said she is not done adding members to her mannequin family.
"People always ask, 'When are you going to add something new?'" Joan said.
The comeback kid
Cindy Hanson wants to do two things before she dies -- be on the CBS reality show "Survivor" and win the Make-A-Wish Foundation's Home Lighting and Decorating Contest.
"I really want to win this contest," said Hanson, who lives at 1312 Edgewater Avenue. "I've been obsessed with this for a long time."
Since she was a child, Hanson has enjoyed decorating for Christmas. She said she liked the joy it would bring to people when they looked at the holiday designs.
"It's kind of a rush," she said.
Hanson first entered the contest nine years ago but lost three consecutive times to a home that used dalmatians in its holiday designs. She quit after her last loss, but her brother Rick Hanson, who lives across the street from her, began beating the dalmatian house after going "hog wild crazy" with his decorations, she said.
With the champ on the ropes and her brother as her corner man, Hanson decided it was time to dust off her Santa displays.
Hanson's brother and the dalmatian house aren't competing in the contest this year, she said, leaving the door open for her to win her first title. Her display is as strong as it's ever been, featuring a giant snowglobe and a 7-foot-tall inflatable reindeer and Santa Claus duo.
"It's like the Super Bowl, except none of the other teams are playing," she said. "If I win, I will freak."
<b>SEE A MAP OF LIGHT DISPLAYS</b>
<a href="/multimedia/lights.php">See our interactive map which includes all entrants in the Make a Wish lighting contest, and add your own lighting display to our holiday lights map.</a>
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Little Helper wrote on Dec 13, 2007 11:29 PM:
shane wrote on Dec 11, 2007 8:30 PM: