Lavish with lighting.

Byline: Andrea Damewood The Register-Guard

They shine. They shimmer. They rival Las Vegas.

And they should. At last count, more than 41,800 tiny Christmas light bulbs occupy nearly every available square inch of Alexander Ponce's front yard in north Eugene.

He has stopped trying to keep count.

They flicker and flash, in perfect timing with one of 12 songs that Ponce transmits on a low-power radio station for passers-by. A small sign instructs drivers to tune to 89.3 FM.

In the past week, he's counted more than a hundred cars and countless pedestrians who have ogled the display at 3393 Saint Kitts St., located off Crescent Avenue.

"It's gone crazy," Ponce said proudly of his light show, which he's been doing since 2004. "I've already started planning for next year."

Uncounted hours have gone into the elaborate production. Setup begins the day after Halloween. It takes at least six hours at his computer to program the lights to just one three-minute song.

Most of the decorations are store-bought and hand-modified by Ponce, such as a light tree that has been wrapped in Saran Wrap to produce a sugar-coated glow.

Despite an electric bill that goes up between $60 and $100, the lights have become a way for Ponce to stay occupied and to celebrate his favorite time of the year. A disability makes it difficult for him to move during extreme hot or cold, but the crisp chill near Christmas suits him just fine.

The show has become a stop on a limousine Christmas lights tour. People frequently knock on his door. One woman even brought cookies.

"People seem to like it a lot," said Ponce, who is retired. "It puts them into the holiday spirit."

Well, almost everyone.

One neighbor filed a complaint with the neighborhood association, saying the lights - which are visible from three rooms in his home - are out of control.

Neighborhood association president Matt Stopher confirmed that a complaint had been filed.

However, there are no rules in the association's code that limit lighting displays. A city of Eugene code protects holiday light displays between Nov. 15 and Jan. 15, said Mike McKerrow, city land use management supervisor.

To his knowledge, Mc-Kerrow said no one has complained to the city about Christmas lights, even when they've been put up or left up outside of the two-month time frame. Ponce keeps his lights up from about Nov. 1 to mid-January.

Stopher said the issue is one that the neighbors should handle face-to-face.

"As a board, where do you draw the line (on decorations)?" Stopher said. "Some people very much enjoy it, and some are adamantly against it."

Ponce, who said he wasn't aware of the complaint, appeared visibly distressed when he learned of it. Both men said they had never discussed the issue.

If neighbors do have problems, Ponce said there are computer controls that could strategically dim the lights.

"I really don't want to bother anybody," he said, adding that he keeps the lights on only between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m.

Most on Saint Kitts street adore the decorations, said Bill and Dianne Dishman, whose large bay window is directly across the street.

"How do you complain about Christmas lights?" Bill Dishman asked. "I've seen other houses that are way more than his."

The couple said they love to see the annual changes.

"For us, it's part of the Christmas event," Dianne Dishman said. "When I can't sleep, I just sit and watch."

Dianne Dishman said many of the houses on the street have small children, who delight in living near the cheer.

Among them are Ponce's two children, Elizabeth, 10, and Ethan, 5. "They love it," Ponce said. "They think that Santa is going to land here sooner because he can see the lights in the sky."