GOODWILL GLOWS ON RHODES AVENUE.

Byline: DENNIS McCARTHY 

Every January, Walter Rivera opens his December electricity bill with the dread of a man getting the results of an IRS audit.

He knows the news is going to be bad. There's only one question: How much will it hurt?

Walter always waits to open the electric bill until his wife, Judith, gets home from work. A prudent man, he's never sure if he's going to have the strength left to crawl to the phone and dial 911.

``I always tell him, Honey, it's OK; it's just once a year. Look at all the joy it brings to the neighborhood. It's worth it,'' Judith said.

Walter always nods and smiles. Then he goes to lie down until the migraine passes. His December electric bill is usually about $900.

The Riveras had no idea when they moved onto Rhodes Avenue in North Hollywood in 1999 that they were now the guardians and keepers of the neighborhood Christmas tree, a 70-foot-high evergreen in their front yard.

I've written about the tree before -- gone all the way back in its history to when Dorothy Clemens knelt in the dirt in this same front yard more than 45 years ago to plant the seedling that grew into the holiday landmark for the neighborhood.

According to old newspaper stories, police estimated more than 65,000 cars crept down the 8100 block of Rhodes Avenue every Christmas in the late 1970s and early '80s so the kids could see the 5-foot star on top and more than 500 lights shining brightly on Dorothy's tree.

But by the early 1990s, many longtime neighbors had moved or died, and new neighbors didn't have time for traditions. After Dorothy moved away in 1994, the tree went dark for the holidays.

George Herczak and a few other longtime residents on Rhodes did all they could to keep the tradition alive, but the neighborhood Christmas tree wasn't on their property.

The new owners had no desire to rekindle the tradition or see their electric bill spike every December just to bring a smile to the neighborhood.

Then the Riveras and their three young sons moved into the house in 1999, and the lights came back on.

``We wanted our sons to respect tradition, and when George told us how much that tree had meant to the neighborhood, how it brought everyone together during the holidays, we said let's do it again,'' Judith said.

The neighbors took up a collection to rewire the tree and put a new star on top. The juice to keep all those lights burning every night from Thanksgiving to Jan. 7 was racing off Walter's meter.

But this year, things changed. New neighbors who have never spent a Christmas on Rhodes began knocking on the Riveras' door, curious about that huge tree in their front yard with all the lights and the star on it year round.

The Riveras sent out a note explaining the history of the tree and its holiday tradition for more than 45 years, and they asked every neighbor to join them by lighting up their homes for the holidays, too.

Most of them have, but they didn't stop there. More than $200 was raised from neighbors to buy 40 red bows for the tree.

And for the last month, the neighbors have been slipping Walter checks and cash, as well.

``The neighbors have been chipping in, offering to help pay the electric bill to keep those lights on,'' Judith said Monday.

Seems only fair since it's the neighborhood's Christmas tree.

So, Walter Rivera's smiling a lot more this holiday season. That $900 electric bill he dreads opening every January isn't going to hurt nearly as much this time.

dennis.mccarthy(at)dailynews.com

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CAPTION(S):

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Photo:

Walter Rivera, second from right, and sons Alejandro and Carlos, right, stand with neighbors George and Barbara Herczak in front of the 70- foot-tall Christmas tree that is in the Riveras' yard but ``belongs'' to the whole neighborhood.

David Sprague/Staff Photographer