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Letter to the editor

Adorn we now . . .

By DONG-PHUONG NGUYEN, Times Staff Writer
Published November 30, 2007

Deck the halls. Or in this case, the giant fountains, the palm trees and the iron gates.

As you drive through New Tampa, Westchase, Temple Terrace and Carrollwood this time of year, sparkling lights, silk poinsettias and red bows all become part of the suburban landscape. Just how much are communities spending to make things merry and bright?

It ranges from nothing: "This is not a good time to be spending that kind of money," said Michael Dunn, spokesman for the city of Temple Terrace. To the thousands: Tampa Palms needed new lights to go with its Christmas trees and reindeer, so the budget tops $27,000. Here's a look:

Westchase

This is the first time Westchase will adorn its community with festive lights and wreaths. Just don't expect to see a menorah or a life-sized statue of Jesus during the holiday season.

"I don't want to have to deal with complaints that it's denominational," Community Development District chairman Mark Ragusa said at the group's Nov. 6 meeting.

"If you have a wreath and it's not 'Merry Christmas,' you're safe," said CDD East supervisor Susan Edgerley, who is Jewish.

The cost: $2,500.And that doesn't include what homeowners will spend as they compete in a yearly contest for the best-decorated neighborhood.

Then there's the electric bill, something other communities did not mention. Maggie Wilson, consultant to the Tampa Palms Community Development District, estimated the power bill at $3,000 a season.

The cost: $27,000

But the real action happens at the entrances to West Meadows' seven villages, Kautz said, which get somewhat competitive.

"We have choo-choo trains, deer, wreaths and we decorate the palms," she said of her own village, Doves Landing.

The master association gives villages money for decorations, Kautz said.

The cost: $100 per village, though some villages, through their own homeowner associations, have spent "thousands" in the past, she said.

"We just alter the wreaths every once in a while," said Tanya Heires, president of the Pebble Creek Homeowners Association. "We reuse them every year."

However, just preparing the decorations, particularly testing blankets of lights, eats up several days' work by Pebble Creek's maintenance staff, Heires said.

"The key is keeping them running through the season," she said.

The cost: nothing

The cost: $25

But residents can pitch in to bring the festive feeling back to Temple Terrace by buying holiday banners from the chamber of commerce.

"They will say 'Happy Holidays,'" said Michael Dunn, the city's spokesman. "And we will support them but won't be purchasing one."

The cost: nothing

The cost: approximately $2,500-$3,000.

Grand Hampton will feature white lights at its entrances and on a few trees out front. On a traffic circle in front of the clubhouse, there will be a pair of white-light reindeer and some spiral-light trees, she said. The clubhouse itself will have icicles.

"They like to keep it simple," Morocco said.

The cost: nothing

Times staff writers Bill Coats, Robbyn Mitchell, Amber Mobley, Jackie Ripley and Rodney Thrash contributed to this article.

[Last modified November 29, 2007, 07:59:35]