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JAY CRIDLINA popular Christmas display hasn't gone up this year. The homeowner blames a disagreement with a neighbor.
RUSKIN - Santa Claus is under lock and key.
Mary and Joseph are wedged into a storage shed.
Six rolls of Christmas lights are buried under boxes of giant plastic candy canes.
In fact, for the first time in years, Don Bourdon's Apollo Beach yard is virtually decoration-free this Christmas. Only one light illuminates the yard - a 500-watt halogen aimed at a giant, hand-painted, plywood sign:
"There will be no Xmas decorations this year do to the SCROOGE at 6510 Abaco Dr. who thinks he owns my waterfront. I'M SORRY!"
The sign is Bourdon's salvo in a two-year feud with next-door neighbor Gary Santti, over a dock in Bourdon's backyard waterfront.
It's also his response to Apollo Beach residents who wonder why Bourdon, a three-time winner of the Apollo Beach Chamber of Commerce's Best Decorated House award, hasn't hung a single strand of his 70,000 Christmas lights.
"The whole neighborhood is talking about the sign," said Janice Leverette, who also lives on Abaco Drive. "I've seen people come by going real slow to look at the lights, and they're not there."
Bourdon hopes his front yard will put residents on his side.
For a year and a half, he and Santti have butted heads over a $10,000 boat lift that Bourdon had hoped to install on his dock.
The Tampa Port Authority requires neighbors to sign off on large dock projects such as boat lifts, and Bourdon said Santti initially agreed. But Bourdon began construction before Santti gave his final approval to the Port Authority. Santti then refused Bourdon permission to build.
Bourdon admits he made a mistake starting construction prematurely, but was outraged at Santti's stubbornness.
The two men stopped talking, and Santti posted a sign on his dock proclaiming Bourdon's dock illegal. The dock was in place before Bourdon moved in three years ago, but the Port Authority may force him to renovate it in order to accommodate his boat lift.
"This guy's harassed me for over a year and a half," said Bourdon, 51. "That's why I said, "I'm just going to let the neighborhood know about you, dude.' That's why I put the sign up."
Santti was taken aback by the move.
"I expect my neighbor to adhere to the laws of Florida and Hillsborough County," said Santti, 50. "I guess it's his decision whether he puts up his lights or not. I had nothing to say about it."
In years past, Bourdon's house was a magnet for all Apollo Beach "lightseers." Starting the week after Thanksgiving, he worked nonstop to install manger scenes and multicolored light strands, even going so far as to suspend Santa and a reindeer between two tall palm trees. Busloads of Sun City Center retirees came by to have a look each year.
"It's by far the best one in Apollo Beach," said Wayne Edmunds, a friend of Bourdon's. "The kids absolutely love it, and Don gets a lot of pleasure out of it."
Edmunds paused. "It's a shame that it's come to this," he said.
That's the sentiment echoed by most neighbors, many of whom drive by and shout for Bourdon to put up the lights.
"The neighborhood's going to miss it," said Tom Graney. "It's just a shame that some squabble between neighbors would pop up at Christmastime and cause problems like that. It's supposed to be a cheerful holiday time of year."
Bourdon said it's not like locking up his lights makes him feel good.
"That's not my nature," he said. "The people are all hurt, all the kids in the neighborhood. I feel bad about it, but I had to do something."
For his part, Santti said Bourdon's annual holiday display "looked nice."
"I never said anything about his Christmas lights," said Santti. "I think Christmas lights are great."
Santti declined to comment on the sign itself, which is about 8-feet wide with red lettering. He referred sign-related questions to his attorney, W.F. "Casey" Ebsary Jr. of Tampa, who said simply: "My client is no Scrooge."
Bourdon said he has no plans to continue his protest next year. In fact, he hinted this week that the lights could go up on short notice.
"All I want for Christmas is my boat lift with no problems," he said. "Trust me. I've got enough friends in this town where we could put them up in two days."