GILROY
– The 2002 Gilroy Holiday Home Decorating Contest judges set off
Wednesday night with the idea that
”
less is more
”
– at least until they showed up at the corner or Orchard Drive
and Eighth Street.
”
Oh my goodness,
”
Judge Sandi Mason exclaimed.
”
Holy moley!
”
The glow from Larry Pierotti, Steve Peterson, Ron Colla and
Manual Pulido’s homes could be seen from blocks away.
GILROY – The 2002 Gilroy Holiday Home Decorating Contest judges set off Wednesday night with the idea that “less is more” – at least until they showed up at the corner or Orchard Drive and Eighth Street.
“Oh my goodness,” Judge Sandi Mason exclaimed. “Holy moley!”
The glow from Larry Pierotti, Steve Peterson, Ron Colla and Manual Pulido’s homes could be seen from blocks away.
But Pierotti used to be much more like the Grinch whose costume he was wearing Wednesday than a sign of holiday cheer.
“I never put anything out for Christmas,” Pierotti said. “(Colla) said ‘Don’t be a humbug and put something out there.”
Colla finally talked his neighbor into putting up at least a few lights four years ago, but he had no idea what he would start.
“I couldn’t get him to put up a string of lights,” Ron said. “But now I’ve created a monster.”
Pierotti’s Christmas setup, called “North Pole Out of Control,” helped the four houses earn honors as the top neighborhood display – that and the fact that they had no competition. But the group’s prize winnings of $75 will won’t even make a dent in their outrageous electric bills.
“Last year (the electric bill) cost me about $470 for the month of December,” Pierotti. “And I had to call an electrician.”
Colla’s display, called “Christmas Vacation,” resembles that of Clark W. Griswold’s house in Chevy Chase’s National Lampoon’s holiday movie. He has 32,000 lights on the house, with 10,000 of those on the roof. His holiday lights run on five different electric circuits.
“I can’t do anything in the house otherwise,” laughed Colla, whose display helps bring his December Pacific Gas and Electric bill to $550.
Colla is moving off the block to another place in Gilroy, and he was sad he was moving away.
“It’s killing us,” he said. “We kinda set a trend here. We have people come every year.
“I am definitely going to miss my neighbors. Hopefully, I’ll start a new trend.”
The individual first place effort, Carolyn Silva’s home at 400 Fifth St., also embraced the idea of a bustling setup. Her display includes an animated Santa’s workshop in her front window. The workshop is complete with elves building toys, Santa Claus waving and even Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer.
“She could win with just that window,” Judge Jenny Mitgaard Derry said.
Silva, who placed third the previous two years, said she was ready to celebrate.
“I have a bottle of champagne ready, regardless,” she said. “I certainly didn’t do this myself.”
Silva was helped by her friends Sal Martinez, Linda Wolfe, Pat Lowe, Mona Asuncion and Roxanne Sanchez.
“Today has been a long day,” she said of getting her front display prepared. “It’s been a long eight days, but it’s worth it, and the kids love it.”
Silva changes her design every year, save for her manger scene and frozen pond.
“I just love doing it, and the contest makes it kind of fun,” she said. “It’s my way of sharing. I’m just a big kid. It’s for the kid in all of us.”
The second and third place winners of the contest were Michelle and Jared Baxter of 781 W. Sixth St. and Ruben, Marty and Robert Trujillo of 621 La Sierra Way, respectively.
The Baxter home fit the ideal the judges originally were looking for, with a simple, elegant design using detailed wooden figures and a fence made out of candy canes and gingerbread men. The Tujillo’s concept included an area for baby “reindeer in training,” hand-made lollipops and Santa taking off a runway with an American flag attached to the back of his sleigh.
The winners of the apartment/condo competition were Ruben, Annette, Nathan and Priscilla Plaza of 841 Monticello Drive, apartment number #209.
Another highlight on the tour was the home of Mike Osier, 731 Lexington Place. His light show, which is completely controlled by a computer program called “Dashere,” is set to music. Visitors are encouraged to tune their radio to 89.5 FM, and they can hear the 13-minute program, which includes the “Carol of the Bells,” the “12 Days of Christmas” and “Have a Holly, Jolly Christmas.”
“It took me a long time,” said Osler, who has been a ham radio operator since he was 12 years old.
He originally got the idea several years ago when he was in Georgia and saw a show much like what he has now.
“So one Christmas I decided to try animation,” he said. “But I didn’t know it would be 130 (animated light displays).
“When I saw it, I was like, ‘Wow.’ ”
Osler expands his operation each year, adding a Santa Claus and reindeer this year.
“It’s become an obsession” he said.
Prize money for the contest, sponsored by South County Realtors Association and the Gilroy Chamber of Commerce, ranges from $25 to $75.
“People are definitely in the holiday spirit,” said Kelly Barbazette, chair of the holiday display contest. “It’s great to see their version of Christmas spirit.”
In order to show this spirit, some contestants went to great lengths to up the ante.
Periotti, who worked for three weeks to get his home prepared, had a huge tree removed from his front yard so people could better see his Santa Claus flying up toward the chimney.
“With a big tree it blocked the view,” he said.
But was this former Grinch’s holiday display really the only reason he cut the tree down?
“That was probably 60 percent of it,” he said. “The other 40 percent was not having to deal with the mess.”
Silva’s display depended on a new addition to the front of her home. She said it wasn’t done in time, so she had to hurry to get her display ready for the judges.
“That’s why we needed to do it in eight days,” she said.
There were a total of 15 entries in the contest this year, four less than last year. Barbazette said she saw several homes along the route while judging that could have competed in the free contest.
“We saw a lot of originality and a lot of creativity,” she said.
