43
Homeowners dazzle the Valley with Tour of Lights
Photo
Chuck Dressel and his fiancee, Jenn Rogers, of Youngstown pose outside their home on Hazelwood Avenue. Dressel has put on a show for six years and now has the lights timed to music. “Our display focuses on everything,” Dressel said. “I don’t want to focus all on lights.”
By Kalea Hall | khall@vindy.com
Behind each bulb, each perfectly placed fixture and synchronized movement to music in the Valley’s Tour of Lights is a group of lighting lunatics who love to share the Christmas spirit.
Each one has a personalized show, with thousands of lights to dazzle and perform for children and adults.
“We are all light enthusiasts or crazy Christmas light people,” said Chuck Dressel, who runs his “light-o- rama” show on Hazelwood Avenue in Youngstown. “We all get along and all help each other.”
There are nine homes on the Tour of Lights list. Boardman Park also put up a light show to music.
Among them, Dressel operates “Youngstown Christmas Lights.” Mike McAndrew operates “Canfield Christmas Lights” on Fairview Avenue in Canfield. Gene Murdoch operates “North Aspen Lights” in Canfield, and John Mackie operates “Austintown Christmas” on Dunbar Avenue in Austintown.
Each has a unique personality and a different reason for why it is beyond necessary to spent countless hours and amounts of money to put on a show for the community.
“This is actually the community’s display,” McAndrew said.
This is the seventh year McAndrew has lit up his neighborhood. His show covers not just his yard at 333 Fairview Ave., but five other yards.
“I was like the Grinch before,” McAndrew said.
He is crafty at heart, so adding a new hobby to his list of several was not a shock.
He said this year he has just under 100,000 lights that are synchronized to multiple songs.
“It takes an incredible amount of work,” McAndrew said.
The amount of work it takes to set up the 55 metal-frame trees, 8-foot-tall candy canes and more does not beat the experience of spreading Christmas cheer.
“We have become a part of people’s family tradition,” McAndrew said.
Dressel has the same feelings about his lights. He lights up when he talks about his collection of Christmas decor, especially the antique keepsakes he cherishes. He has put on a show for the last six years.
“Unless it is something bad in Youngstown, you do not hear about it,” Dressel said. “We wanted to show that we are here and we are doing something positive.”
Dressel was always into decorating. He decorated his South Side home with his family every year. Each time he gets out the decorations, memories of decorating with his grandma rekindle.
“It is very important to me to have this,” he said.
The inside of Dressel’s home with his fiancee, Jenn Rogers, is decked with 11 different trees. Dressel has plans to grow his outside display for next year with a vintage Christmas storefront window.
“It has gotten bigger and bigger,” Dressel said.
Each of the “lighting lunatics” has a unique display, which keeps it interesting, Dressel said.
“Our display focuses on everything,” Dressel said. “I don’t want to focus all on lights.”
Mackie’s “Austintown Christmas” is focused not just on spreading the Christmas spirit, but also spreading the word about people in the community who need community support.
Mackie named his spinner lights after Jonah Novak, a child who died in November.
“What drives me is knowing that there is somebody that I can do something for,” Mackie said. “That is more important to us.”
Mackie’s display includes multicolor lights with a 13-foot mega-tree and much more.
“I try to do what I can with my little spin,” Mackie said. “I look at my display as a rock band.”
Murdoch is another lighting addict who is always looking for what’s new to add to his “North Aspen Lights.” “It goes from a hobby to a passion,” Murdoch said.
“Christmas hasn’t even arrived and he is already coming up” with next year’s design, added Carol Murdoch, Gene’s wife.
He first got into light-o-rama when he was sent a link about it from his friend and thought it was unbelievable.
“My initial thought was, ‘I’m I smart enough to do this,’” Murdoch said.
Now it is the third year the Murdochs put up their lights, including a 23-foot mega-tree and screen to add more entertainment to the show. Gene keeps a whole binder of design sets he has developed over the years. The Murdochs said they find the show very rewarding, just like the rest of the light people on the Tour of Lights list.
“I like the challenge,” Murdoch said. “I like the way it looks. To me it looks phenomenal.”