ALL LIT UP; AREA HOMES DAZZLE AND DELIGHT FOR HOLIDAYS.Byline: Phil Davis
Long before ESPN ESPN Entertainment and Sports Programming Network introduced the world to extreme sports extreme sports Sports events characterized by high speed or high risk. Such sports include aggressive inline skating, wakeboarding, street luge, skateboarding, and freestyle bicycle events (wherein tricks such as back flips are performed on a bicycle). , Nick Kobe was enticing his neighbors into a different kind of over-the-top competition: extreme holiday decorating. For nearly two decades, Kobe has transformed his front yard on Rio Reyes Court into a dazzling holiday wonderland of robotic Santas, glowing plastic penguins and too many lights to count. The holiday decor (worth roughly $12,000 to $15,000) sucks so much power, simply turning on the clothes dryer can blow a fuse. ``We do a little,'' the retired Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. County sheriff's deputy said with a wry smile. ``To get the house all set up, I start a week before Halloween and I'm still finishing up. There are 52 animated objects and, as far as lights go, I don't have a clue. ``It's like anything else you get involved in. You put up one string and then two strings and then it just goes from there.'' Kobe's holiday decorating excess is contagious. His neighbor two doors down, Michael Singh, started putting out decorations that rivaled Kobe's 17 years ago, beginning a friendly competition that now transforms the surrounding streets each year into a sparkling shrine to Christmas. Only a few homes around the court are not decorated. ``It's almost like a disease you catch,'' said Frank Selvaggio, who joined the decorating craze five years ago with a re-creation of Santa's workshop Santa's workshop may refer to
Everyone does something a little different. Selvaggio favors lifelike, life-size figures in a homemade Santa's workshop. Kobe leans toward the high-tech, with a life-size talking Santa and a dancing Mr. and Mrs. Claus Mrs. Claus is a folk hero, and is the wife of Santa Claus in many modern versions of the Santa Claus legend. In many current versions of the mythos, Mrs. Claus lives with her husband and assists with the production of Santa's toys, sometimes overseeing their production by . In a manger scene, baby Jesus moves his arms and a robotic angel flaps its wings. Singh prefers homemade decorations. He's converted an unused dog house into a popcorn machine; a car seat becomes part of a helicopter and a wooden lighthouse stands watch over a sea of blue lights. ``Everyone gets into it,' said Singh, who was out working on his yard on a recent Sunday despite a bad case of the flu. ``I have to do it,'' he said. ``I'll suffer tomorrow, but I had to get it all out here tonight.'' Likewise, Kobe is recovering from a back injury that occurred when he fell from a ladder while stringing lights. That kind of determination has led to speculation that the neighbors are locked in some kind of holiday one-upmanship, but everyone involved insists the competition is nothing but friendly. People count on the neighborhood for a healthy dose of Christmas cheer. As the sun sets, families stroll or drive by and gape at the elaborate displays. Selvaggio's grandchildren handed out hot chocolate to visitors on a recent Sunday. Kobe sells fresh mistletoe mistletoe, common name for the Loranthaceae, a family of chiefly tropical hemiparasitic herbs and shrubs with leathery evergreen leaves and waxy white berries. They have green leaves, but they manufacture only part of the nutrients they require. for $1 and relies on the honor of visitors to pay for what they take. He is rarely disappointed. He's lost only one lawn ornament Lawn ornaments are decorative objects placed in the grassy area of a property. Common lawn ornaments Bird bath - A structure designed to hold water for birds and bathe in or drink, generally supported upon a pedestal. to theft in 18 years, and it was returned the next morning. The lights of Rio Reyes go on shortly after sunset and are usually left on until about 11 p.m. ``We do it for kids,'' Selvaggio said. ``You turn down the street and it looks better and better every year.'' CANOGA PARK THE KERR FAMILY, 20212 Hart St. Highlights: About 6,000 lights; train with Disney characters This is a currently incomplete list of Disney characters:
When: The display can be viewed from 6 to 10 p.m. daily. Major intersection: Winnetka Avenue and Vanowen Street. THE BROWN FAMILY, 20913 Bassett St. Highlights: Angels; elves; snowmen; Looney Tunes characters This is the complete list of Looney Tunes characters organised after the year of their first appearance. Note: The more famous or noteworthy Looney Tunes characters are listed in bold. . When: The display can be viewed from 6 to 8 p.m. daily. Santa will be handing out candy to children Dec. 22 and 23 from 6 to 8 p.m. Major intersection: Vanowen Street and Platt Avenue. GLENDALE JOHN NINEMIRE, 1327 Aristo St. Highlights: Hundreds of lights; seven angels made out of lights with names of Ninemire's great-grandchildren. When: The display can be viewed from 5:30 to 10 p.m. daily. Major intersection: Flower Street and Sonora Avenue. GRANADA HILLS THE WINGER FAMILY, 17556 Ludlow St. Highlights: 115,000 lights; Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus
Mrs. Santa Claus is a 1996 television musical starring Angela Lansbury as the wife of Santa Claus. The musical score for Mrs. ; a variety of lawn sculptures. When: The display can be viewed from 5 to 10:30 p.m. daily. Major intersection:White Oak Avenue and San Fernando San Fernando, city, Argentina San Fernando (săn fərnăn`dō), city (1991 pop. 144,761), Buenos Aires prov., E Argentina. It is a district administrative center in the Greater Buenos Aires area. Mission Boulevard The following roads are named Mission Boulevard:
MISSION HILLS THE TAPIA AND HERNANDEZ FAMILIES, 10920 Bartee Ave. Highlights: Thousands of lights; a nativity scene A nativity scene, also called a crib or crèche (meaning "crib" or "manger" in French) generally refers to any depiction of the birth or birthplace of Jesus. In Italy it is known as presepe ; moving train; choir boys Choir Boys can refer to:
When: The display can be viewed from 5 to 9 p.m. daily through New Year's Eve. Major intersection: Chatsworth Street and Arleta Avenue. MOORPARK THE PAUL FAMILY, 4309 N. Ashtree St. Highlights: Thousands of lights; baby angels on roof; reindeer flying over the yard; a miniature forest with a river running through it. Popcorn and hot chocolate will be served on Christmas Eve. When: The display can be viewed from 6 to 10 p.m. daily. Major intersection: Peach Hill Road and Tierra Rejada Road. NORTHRIDGE THE HUFFMAN FAMILY, 16842 Itasca St. Highlights: 30,000 lights; Christmas music; handmade motorized mo·tor·ize tr.v. mo·tor·ized, mo·tor·iz·ing, mo·tor·iz·es 1. To equip with a motor. 2. To supply with motor-driven vehicles. 3. To provide with automobiles. carousel; handmade motorized teeter totter; 12-foot lighted tree, Santa; reindeer and sleigh sleigh: see sled. on the roof. The Huffman family is also collecting new, unwrapped toys to donate to the Marine Corps Toys for Tots Toys For Tots is a program run by the United States Marine Corps Reserve which donates toys to children whose parents cannot afford to buy them gifts for Christmas. The program was founded in 1947 by Major Bill Hendricks. Drive. When: The display can be viewed from 6 to 10 p.m. daily. Major intersection: Balboa Boulevard and Plummer Street. RESEDA THE WASHBURNE FAMILY, 6424 Bertrand Ave. Highlights: 15,000 lights; Snowman family, Santa riding a cow; Santa on the roof. When: The display can be viewed from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. daily. Major intersection: Victory Boulevard Victory Boulevard is a major thoroughfare on Staten Island, measuring approximately 8.0 miles (12.87 km) and stretching from the west shore community of Travis to the upper east shore communities of St. George and Tompkinsville. and White Oak Avenue. SIMI VALLEY Simi Valley (sē`mē, sĭm`ē), city (1990 pop. 100,217), Ventura co., SW Calif. in an oil, fruit, and farm region; laid out 1887, inc. 1969. THE CHILDRESS FAMILY, 3115 Sheri Drive Highlights: 6,000 lights; candy canes; Santa and Mrs. Claus; Santa's workshop; nativity scene. When: The display can be viewed from 5 to 10 p.m. daily. Major intersection: Tapo Canyon Road and Township Avenue. TARZANA THE WHITE FAMILY, 5330 Topeka Ave. Highlights: Thousands of lights; nativity scene; Mickey and Minnie Mouse Noun 1. Minnie Mouse - the partner of Mickey Mouse ; lots of candy canes lining the driveway; ornaments adorning the trees. When: The display can be viewed from 5:30 to 10 p.m. daily. Major intersection: 1 1/2 blocks south of Ventura Boulevard between Wilbur Avenue and Tampa Avenue. VAN NUYS THE FORSBERG FAMILY, 17550 Haynes St. Highlights: 10,000 lights; Disney characters. When: The display can be seen from 6 to 10 p.m. daily. Major intersection: White Oak Avenue and Victory Boulevard. WEST HILLS THE PARK FAMILY, 23321 Schoolcraft St. Highlights: 85,000 lights; Disney characters; a mailbox where kids can mail letters to Santa Claus. When: The display can be seen from 6 to 10 p.m. daily. Major intersection: Vanowen Street and Platt Avenue. THE BLODGETT FAMILY, 22937 Schoolcraft St. Highlights: 10,000 lights; Santa and elves; Looney Tunes figures; full-size sleigh with six reindeer; snowmen; polar bears; two giant toy soldiers. When: The display can be seen from 5 to 10 p.m. weekdays and 5 to 11 p.m. weekends. Major intersection: Vanowen Street and Woodlake Avenue. WOODLAND HILLS THE JONES FAMILY, 6321 Jumilla Ave. Highlights: About 5,000 lights; lighted, moving windmill. When: The display can be viewed from 5 to 10 p.m. daily. Major intersection: Corbin Avenue and Friar Street. CANDY CANE LANE Located between Oxnard Street and Martha Street, on the four blocks east of Winnetka Avenue and north of the Ventura Freeway: Lubao, Jumilla, Oakdale and Penfield avenues. CAPTION(S): 5 Photos, box Photo: (1 -- cover -- color) no caption (Michael Singh's Saugus home) (2 -- color) Michael Singh's Saugus home is decked out with Santa and his reindeer, wooden soldiers and thousands of lights. (3 -- color) Austin Meek, 4, and Sara Spencer, 5, take in Santa's workshop on Rio Reyes Court in Saugus. Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer (4 -- color) In Mission Hills, Richard Tapia's Christmas yard display features a nativity scenewith glowing lambs. (5 -- color) The Huffman family has more than 30,000 lights in its Northridge yard display. Eric Grigorian/Staff Photographer Box: Rudolph and friends (See text) |
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