on our way home from the city lights outing
the bus wound through darkened streets of
the slightly-run-down-and-reemerging
little city of Dover
where few of the modest homes shone
with Christmas decorations.
then
as the bus trundled up the hill
a curious sight did appear in the mostly
dark neighborhood:
streamers of lights
high in the tree tops
Though the hour was late
and our bones weary from city wandering
curiosity drew us back to Debbie Lane
after we got off the bus and collected our car
(clicking on the image provides a much better view)
according to the story in the paper
it is created by Mike Antreassian
who is a 70 year old retired engineer
and clearly his neighbors join in.
"While he likes to spend time on the weekends sipping hot chocolate with the revelers, hearing their Christmas stories and thoughts on the lights, which are controlled via 18 circuit breakers, Antreassian said he does it for the children. It shows.
Writing letters to Santa Claus has become one of the main attractions. Each kid gets to sit at a wooden desk and write a note to Kris Kringle. The children then pull a rope, advancing the wish list 70 to 80 feet in the air, until it falls into a box...
"Some of them are really, really cute," Irene Antreassian said.
"Some are sad," Mike Antreassian said.
"Some are just asking for a sweater for grandma," the wife said.
"Or asking for the family to get back together," the husband said."
After leaving their notes for Santa, children usually get a chance to tell him their wishes directly. Most weekends, local residents volunteer to take turns as the big man."
Joyful
giggling with glee
that is what we felt in our car that night
in glow of Antreassian's gift
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