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All's not calm, all's not bright
By WAVENEY ANN MOORE ST. PETERSBURG -- Gary Hocevar says it's simply not fair that he has been cast in the much-maligned role of the Grinch who stole Christmas ... lights, that is. He says the only reason he and his housemate confronted Ted and Kim Kresge about their famous Christmas display was because other neighbors had complained vehemently about the annual extravaganza that drew tour buses by the score, cars by the hundreds and gawkers by the thousands. This year, though, threatened with legal action by Hocevar and Danny Scaringi, the Kresges responded by scaling back their display at 2719 Oakdale St. S. A sign announces that the presentation has been cut back by 90 percent, but for the casual passer-by, the over-the-top Christmas display has lost little of its customary effect. Hocevar has put up a sign of his own: for sale. Disillusioned with their new neighborhood, he and Scaringi are selling their home and moving out. Even though the display across the street at the Christmas House is still rather hard to miss, word that it initially had been canceled and now has been drastically cut back apparently has winnowed the throngs that once choked neighborhood streets. Residents in the Big Bayou community say the area is practically bereft of sightseers, a state of affairs that saddens some. "When the cars come through, you're always interested to see who comes out. It's just dead," said Mary Lee Lamar, 67, a retired Pinellas School District cook who has lived in the Big Bayou neighborhood for 13 years. "The man (Kresge) is a Christian-hearted man and for just that one neighbor to come and say they don't want (the display) is disgusting." Neither the lights nor the crowds bothered him, said John Bell, who expressed his opinion through his screen door. "I kind of miss seeing all the people," he said. Hocevar, who moved to the Big Bayou community with Scaringi just a few months ago, is stunned by neighbors' reaction to what he said was a genuine effort to solve a longstanding problem. "We never asked for the lights to be turned off. We only asked that the neighbors and the people of the neighborhood and the children be protected because of the inordinately large crowds that the lights draw to the neighborhood," he said. Richard Flamm, president of the Big Bayou Neighborhood Association, said there are residents who want the display stopped altogether. "There were people who didn't like it but were willing to live with it," said Flamm, adding that complaints mainly have been about crowds and safety. Standing at the door of his home Monday, Hocevar pointed to the houses of some of his neighbors who were annoyed by the display. "When we first got here, all of the neighbors were complaining about the presentation. We got an earful," said Hocevar, who acknowledged that he had been aware of what neighbors call the Christmas House before buying his property across the street. "But we did not know of the tremendous negative impact of the display," said Hocevar, who once headed the Coquina Key Neighborhood Association. Hocevar said his new neighbors in Big Bayou believed that his experience as a former neighborhood leader could help them rein in the Kresges' massive display. "Once that was done, we were persona non grata," he said. This week, two for sale signs stood on his corner property. "We plan to move on," Hocevar said. At least one neighbor will not be sad to see them leave. "If these guys are moving out, let them move," said Mary Ellen Meanor, who lives across the street in a bright pink house with a white picket fence. She is angry at her neighbors, Ms. Meanor said. "I was a lot hotter about it a few weeks ago. I just think what they've done is a real injustice," she said. Kresge has been "devastated" by their actions, she said. "He was in tears," Ms. Meanor said. "I was in tears." The Kresges could not be reached for comment. Early this week, though, three of their supporters pointed to areas where the Christmas display had been scaled back. Missing are decorations that used to fill the front yard of the Christmas House. Strings of unused lights were rolled in bundles at the roof. Decorations at one side of the house, where a videotape once evangelized visitors, are gone as well. They are no longer needed, now that the yard is closed to sightseers. From the street, though, little seems changed. "All the lights in the front are probably very similar," said Flamm, the neighborhood president. "You wouldn't see much difference." The faded stuffed animals, exposed to the elements as they swing from the eaves, are still there. Dolls and additional stuffed animals stare vacantly through display windows. Christmas lights still cover the front of the tiny white house from top to bottom. In the expansive garden, rose bushes and hibiscus and ixora hedges bloom with more lights. Outdoor Nativity scenes with animals and blue-winged angels are positioned near the street, where a large sign proclaims "Jesus is Lord." A nearby signpost warns that certain faiths and practices, including yoga and astrology, lead away from God. There's a new sign this year: "We apologize. Due to a situation beyond our control the mega Christmas display has been downsized about 90 percent and the yard is no longer open." Change has come to a cherished St. Petersburg tradition, Ms. Meanor said. "Especially with what has gone on since Sept. 11, people need a little joy in their life," she said. "Who knows," said Mrs. Lamar, the retired cook, as she relaxed in her living room, where a picture of Jesus looked down from the top of her television console. "(The display) might have saved somebody. It could have been a sermon to someone who's lost."
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