Lit Cargo

( o _ 0 ) Abominable Snowmen: The War on Lawn Decorations? Your thoughts?

By SARA SCHAEFER MUÑOZ December 20, 2007; Page D1 Jim McDilda's holiday display last year included a 28-foot lighted arch, a 50-foot tree, 50,000 lights and dozens of animated silhouettes. The spectacle -- he needed a crane to set it all up -- lit up the sky and drew thousands of gawking visitors to his Redding, Calif., house. This 28-foot lighted arch was a part of Jim McDilda's holiday display last year. But nearby neighbors weren't so thrilled. Cars, limos and tour buses clogged the cul-de-sac, and trash was strewn across lawns. Christmas music blasting from Mr. McDilda's display kept neighbors awake. They complained to the city, which required that Mr. McDilda get a special-events permit and demanded that he remove the nearby cargo containers he used to store the display most of the year. After months of sniping between Mr. McDilda and the city, he decided to throw in the towel. This year, his house is unadorned. Disgruntled neighbors complain of everything from traffic to wasted electricity. In places like Redding and Aurora, Ill., people called for the city to crack down on loud music or decorations that linger after holidays. Police in some areas of the country even report that the growing number of blow-up Santas adorning people's yards are targets for stabbing and other forms of violent deflation. Random drive by stabbings and other violent acts against inflatable snowmen and women? ( o _ 0 ) Whoa?

Public Comments

1. mmm hmm
2. ....................????????????????.........................
3. First if oyu have to put a BLOW UP SNOW man in a yar full of snow ( Like here in central NY) YOU LAZY! Go build one you JACK A**! As far as decorations I am cool with them as long as you take them down BEFORE JUNE! Damn when you have them up that long....THAT SH*TZ not cool!
4. WHY DO THE GOOD {snowmen and women} DIE YOUNG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
5. I have not decided yeti.
6. grumpy old people suck. wheres the xmas spirit?
7. No "stabbings" here (hilarious question!!);people just take the entire inflated snowman, Santa, reindeer, sleigh,etc., drag it to the cemetery, "pull the plug", and put up a mock gravestone "Here Lies Santa (Frosty, etc.) , 12/?/07". People actually drive by or visit the cemetery to see who "bit the blimp". When I first moved here I thought it was maudlin, and couldn't understand how people actually DID this, until a "native" said, "Hey! How many other people actually WANT to see their relatives on Christmas!!" To each his own I guess..Merry Christmas!!!
8. You need to do what I did....move to the country....buy 30 acres...build a house in the middle of said acreage...decorate to your heart's content....and let the nitwits of the world fight it out..WITHOUT ME! Merry Christmas to ALL!