East Windsor Names Winners In Holiday Light Contest

Dave Miller lost almost $600 worth of holiday lights from last year’s heavy snow and some vandalism, but he wasn’t going to let that stop him from decorating this year.

“I had to do a lot of restringing on my deer and fix my Patriots player,” Miller said. “It took me days to do the repairs.”

He has been decorating his house and yard for the holidays for 15 years. Along with lighted, moving deer, Miller has a huge snowman made from lights on a tree, lighted bushes and snowflakes. He said he didn’t decorate his roof this year as he has in the past.

“I love Christmas,” Miller said. “The cost doesn’t matter, I just enjoy doing it.”

Miller’s house, at 213 Rye St., placed third this year in the 2011 Home for the Holidays Lights Contest, sponsored by the East Windsor Parks and Recreation Department and the East Windsor Chamber of Commerce. The
houses were judged by seniors from the East Windsor Senior Center, with the Chamber of Commerce donating prizes.

First place went to 82 Griffin Road, which boasts a red, white and blue tree, blinking lights and Santa on the roof, as well as a yard packed with lights.

Second place was a tie between 21 Church St. and 89 Rockville Road. Mike Kowalski, of 21 Church St., said he has been decorating his house for about six years. He varies his design every year. The display this year included about 20,000 lights.

“I started doing it because my sons liked driving around and seeing the lights,” Kowalski said. His twins are now 9 and help him with setting up the display. He said he usually starts setting up the Friday after Thanksgiving, a process which takes five or six days. Depending on the weather, he leaves the lights up until right after New Year’s.

His yard includes a mini Ferris wheel and mini roller coaster featuring Santa and Rudolph. The house is decorated with icicle lights as well as lights on the roof.

Jill and Tom Turner, at 89 Rockville Road, have spent more than $2,000 acquiring decorations for their yard, which include a life-size singing and dancing Santa, a vintage sleigh and decoy deer. They have been decorating since they moved to town six years ago, and decorated their house in Tolland before that.

“We go overboard, and it is a lot of work, but we enjoy it,” Tom Turner said. “People think the dancing Santa is me. We just got him last year.”

Last year, he lost more than 100 lighted candy canes from storm damage, so those were replaced this year with LED canes of green and white, which he restrung to create a color pattern. He said he does bring in lights if bad weather is predicted.

The Turners' lights are computerized, and include the side and back yards and well as the front.

Chestnut Point Care Center, on Main Street, won for best business in the contest.