Post Editorial: Christmas lights are not dimmed by contest

We received a phone call regarding the Christmas Light Decoration Contest and the houses selected as the “winners.” The caller felt that Greg Phillips, 1279 N. Main St. “did a heck of a job” with his lights and display and felt the Pine Bluffs Post “missed out.”

The Christmas Light Decoration Contest is an annual contest sponsored by the Pine Bluffs Recreation Department. The Pine Bluffs Post only covers the contest and does not determine who wins.

For nine years, Pine Bluffs residents have been encouraged to decorate their homes within city limits to be involved in the contest. Winners from the previous year are not allowed to win. In order to be judged, the residents must have their lights on the evening the judges look at the lights so they can tell who is in the contest.

It’s not as competitive as “Deck the Halls,” and is meant to be a fun event that helps instill the Christmas spirit. Many people other than the judges travel through the streets of Pine Bluffs enjoying the twinkling of spirit and home-town pride.

Whether 1279 N. Main St. was outside of the city limits, won last year or didn’t have their lights turned on, the night of the judging is not what matters. What matters is they put up the lights and decorations and at least one local resident thought they were winners.

The caller is right and there is room to “acknowledge people who make an effort.” The Pine Bluffs Post may not have the room to put a picture in of all the wonderful houses decorated, but the effort and the reason behind all the lights was wonderful. If you were one of the many who made the holidays a little brighter, Congratulations to you. We cannot offer you a trophy or an award, but we thank you for the light you provided for the community, literally and figuratively.