Published: November 21, 2009 08:48 pm      

Deadline nears for first ‘City of Lights’ contest

BLUEFIELD — Mild weather in Bluefield on Saturday provided just the right ingredients for Bob Little to start installing the thousands of holiday lights that draws the attention of people walking or driving past his College Avenue home.

“I like to light them up on Thanksgiving night,” Little said as he took a break Saturday afternoon. Little has been decorating his College Avenue home for the past 46 years. He came by the passion for decorating his home for Christmas honestly. His father, the late Walter Little, was general maintenance foreman for the U.S. Steel Mines in Gary, and he had access to the resources he needed to really decorate a home in style.

“He worked at the Mill Creek mines for 20 years before we moved to Gary in 1948,” Little said. “U.S. Steel generated their own 25-cycle power from a plant at Main Gary,” Little said. “Down there, you only paid $40 per month rent, and that covered your light bill, water, sewer and all utilities.

“My father built an arch across the front porch and put 40 watt light globes that were used in the signal lights in the mines,” Little said. “We used to go up Saw Mill Hollow across from Wilcoe, cut those big old hemlock boughs and bring them down to the house to decorate that arch. That was a big deal when we were 12 years old.”

Little, who already enjoys a well-deserved reputation for excellence in the way he maintains the topiary in his lawn, tries to add something new to his Christmas light display. “I just keep adding lights until I blow out a fuse. I have thousands of lights. I put 2,000 lights on the 9-foot Christmas tree we have in the house. When I’m done, I have enough lights left over to light up this whole block.”

Although he doesn’t decorate with any competitive thoughts in mind, Little said he got talked into entering the inaugural “City of Lights” contest, sponsored by Goodykoontz Drug Store, WVVA and the Bluefield Daily Telegraph. “At least, I’m supposed to be entered,” he said.

In recognition of the long-standing passion that many residents as well as business owners have for holiday decorations, the city developed the competition to reward residents and city businesses who go all out decorating their homes and businesses.

The contest is divided into two categories — residential and business — and will offer cash prizes of $500, $250 and $100 for the top three entries in each category. Entry is as simple as submitting the name and address of the entrant to the city, according to Andy Merriman, Bluefield city manager.

“We’re not looking for a Social Security number or anything else,” Merriman said. “Just a name and address. We’re getting people to sign up, but not as many as we would like. I expected it to be slow to start off, but it has picked up in the last few days. I don’t know how many entries Angie (Foley) has now.”

The deadline for entering the contest is at the end of business on Monday, but Merriman said he can be a little flexible on that deadline. The ballots will be published in the Daily Telegraph starting on Nov. 26, and people who want to cast votes can do so on line by visiting WVVA-TV on line at (www.wvva.com). Maps to the competing homes and businesses will be available in the Daily Telegraph, at WVVA and in the city offices, Merriman said.

“We hope that this will blend in with our annual Holiday of Lights in Lotito Park,” Merriman said. “The display looks wonderful. We’re all getting ready to turn the lights on for the season at 6 p.m., on Thanksgiving night.” This year marks the 13th season of Bluefield’s Holiday of Lights.

“If you’re entered, you can ask all your friends to vote for your display,” Bluefield Mayor Linda Whalen said. “We’ll assign a number to each display entered and put up signs at the residence or business so people will know what home or business they are voting for.” Winners will be announced live on television on Dec. 21.

Little said that he usually lights his display each evening from Thanksgiving night through New Years Day. “One thing I’ve learned through the years is that it takes a whole lot longer to put them up than it does to take them down,” he said.

– Contact Bill Archer at barcher@bdtonline.com