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Valley families make their homes sparkle for the holidays
By Elise Franco
Youngstown
If Santa makes a stop near Gene and Carol Merdich’s home on Christmas Eve, he might be distracted by their over-the-top lights display.
Christmas Light Display
Video
A Canfield couple has what they refer to as an "over the top" Christmas light display.
The couple, at 4720 N. Aspen Court in Canfield, created a Christmas display to rival any seen on YouTube.
Gene Merdich, 68, and his wife, Carol, 65, said the display is in its second year and continues to grow. Carol said they make most of the pieces themselves.
“We started early in February with wrapping the lights,” she said. “And in early November we actually began to decorate outside.”
Gene said they use 60,000 red, green and white bulbs, 10,000 feet of extension cord and about 1,600 plugs. Computer controls run the display.
Passers-by can get the full effect by tuning their car radios to 107.7 FM, which plays 25 Christmas songs on a loop. Gene said the lights are synced up to move with the beat of each song.
He said the display is active from 5:30 to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 5:30 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
“We do this because we want to bring fun and joy to those who may not have the ability to have something like this at their house,” he said. “And you can never have too many Christmas lights.”
April Dahl of Austintown took her children, 8 and 10, to check out the display one evening last week.
Dahl said she and her children usually drive around looking at Christmas lights, but the Merdich’s display was the best she’s seen.
“It’s amazing,” she said. “I saw someone raving about it on Facebook, so I decided to check it out.”
And even as Dahl drove away after a few minutes, a line of cars formed behind her, all wanting to catch a glimpse of the display.
It’s that reaction that Carol said her husband hoped for when creating the decorations.
“We both love Christmas,” she said. “The kids and the families see it and love it so much. ... It makes people happy.”
John Mackie and Melissa Setting of 3810 Dunbar St., Austintown, created a light-display that also might give Santa a case of Christmas cheer.
Multicolored lights in the shapes of stars, trees and arches dance to the rhythms of more than 50 Christmas songs. The 15,500-bulb show brightens up the street from 5 to 10 each night.
Mackie spent a year creating illuminated decorations by hand and computer- synchronizing their rhythm. His effort allows viewers to watch a cascade of colors move and bounce throughout their home’s lawn and roof in harmony with music that can be heard by tuning into 89.5 FM.
“I’m a blue-collar worker,” said Mackie. “I had to use what I have and be very resourceful.”
Certain decorations that Mackie said would have cost $900 to buy, cost only $11 to make, he said.
The biggest cost were the three Light-O-Rama control boxes, for which he paid $250 each, he said.
Merdich’s display cost quite a bit more, though he said the cost is spread over the course of a year’s worth of work.
“It costs a lot. I’ve probably got five figures tied up into this,” he said. “Last year, though, because we used LED lights that aren’t glowing all the time, the electric bill only went up about $35.”
Mackie’s setup also sheds light on a cause. Off to the side of the display is a sign with a box containing flyers with information on how people can help an Austintown teen and his family.
“Our biggest thing is for us to help” Joshua Walker, Mackie said. The couple met the Walker family after they began attending Emmanuel Community Church with their children, Dylan and Tayler Mackie and Chris Carpenter, this past year.
Joshua, 14, suffers from metachromatic leukodystrophy, a debilitating disease with no cure that’s left him unable to perform simple tasks such as walking, talking, chewing and swallowing.
The family’s charitable effort demonstrates what the holiday is about, said John Hutchinson, senior pastor at Emmanuel Community Church.
“Christmas is about others,” he said. The display “looks nice, but it is also to help a great cause.”
The Merdiches said they’re also asking folks, through their radio station, to donate to Second Harvest Food Bank. Videos of their house are viewable at www.northaspenchristmas.com.
Those interested can make financial contributions for Joshua Walker at any First National Bank by using the account number 044200210.