Hookup is holiday lights' hangup

CLAYSBURG, Pa. - The Christmas lights in this tiny community are all packed up with no place to glow.

Businesses and residents in Claysburg donated $500 to buy the festive lights secondhand. But because the community (population 1,500) never had Christmas lights before, organizers didn't realize they needed $4,000 more to hook up the display.

Then there are all those rules about hanging the lights so they don't interfere with street traffic and telephone lines.

"I just thought people put them up and they looked nice," activist Randy Potter said.

Most of the extra expense is a one-time fee charged by the local power company, which it says covers a variety of costs, including insurance in case someone is injured by the lights.

"Penelec works as much as possible with communities," spokeswoman Beverly Green said. "But there are regulations, and they come with costs."

Communities That Care, which collected the donations, is reluctant to pass the hat again.

Rising costs and a struggling economy have led many larger communities to cut back or find new ways to pay for their light displays, according to the National League of Cities.

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