Thursday, December 15, 2011

Holiday spirit lights up the West Side

 Nearly 2,000 homes in four block clubs on the West Side will remain aglow until Jan. 6 as part of the fourth annual Festival of Lights.
 Ranging from Front Park to Symphony Circle, the holiday competition has grown every year since it began, said Jim Messina, one of the organizers of the event. Members of the block clubs go door-to-door getting people to sign up.
 “We encourage neighbors to put out a strand of lights to show colors for holiday,” Messina said.
 Participants are eligible to win prizes, around 35 available, from cash prizes to gift certificates. All awards are donations.
 The collaboration is part of an ongoing effort through the Prospect Hill Neighborhood Alliance to unite neighborhoods in that area.
 The event culminates with a reception at the Karpeles Museum Jan. 6.
By Mike Meiler and Julia Merulla