Gilroy
– The judges of the 2004 Holiday Home Decorating Contest found
no shortage of Christmas cheer in Gilroy Wednesday night.
Even Santa Claus turned out to greet them at 621 La Sierra
Way.
”
Have some candy,
”
said Claus
– better known as Ruben Trujillo.
By Lori Stuenkel
Gilroy – The judges of the 2004 Holiday Home Decorating Contest found no shortage of Christmas cheer in Gilroy Wednesday night.
Even Santa Claus turned out to greet them at 621 La Sierra Way.
“Have some candy,” said Claus – better known as Ruben Trujillo.
In the yard and driveway behind him, Trujillo’s “Christmas Carnival” theme lived up to its name. Dolls and teddy bears rode spinning merry-go-rounds placed throughout the yard, while other stuffed animals wearing hats and scarves soared overhead on a ferris wheel. Bubbles and the sound of Christmas music drifted through the air. Glowing candy canes spanned the driveway and, overhead, reindeer leading Santa’s sleigh took off from the home’s roof.
A regular entrant in the Gilroy Chamber of Commerce’s annual contest, Trujillo earned top honors this year. For his efforts, which began in November, he received $75 and – for the first time in the contest – a sign advertising his first place display.
The motorized carnival attractions are all homemade by Trujillo and his son, Robert. He’s had merry-go-rounds in past years, but added more along with the ferris wheel this time around.
“We can’t have everything the same every year,” he said.
The display, which Trujillo’s wife, Marty, says only runs up a $150 electric bill, already was attracting passersby Wednesday. A woman and her young daughter wandered up the driveway to get a closer look at a band of elves, complete with a lead singer, guitarist and drummer, sing “All I want for Christmas.”
“I like to see the kids come around,” Trujillo said. “The ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ are great.”
Trujillo said he’ll play Santa and hand out candy canes throughout the month, on most Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
The home decorating contest drew 12 entrants this year, five fewer than last year. Six judges, led by contest organizer and Chamber chairman-elect Tim Day, visited each display Wednesday, traveling in a Lincoln Navigator courtesy of Bob Lynch Ford. The judges decided to get out of the car at each house this year and view the displays up close.
Besides Trujillo’s first place award, second and third places were awarded, along with a $50 and $25 prize, as was a $75 prize for the best neighborhood. Judges based their decisions on originality and creativity.
Both qualities went a long way for the second-place winner at 1017 Howard Ave., called “Gingerbread House.”
“This is cute,” Judge Lori Mellander said, as the group pulled up to the home decorated by Mary Jo and Nicole Collom. “I’m getting hungry just looking at it.”
Good enough to eat, the single-story home was transformed into a gingerbread house worthy of Hansel and Gretel – the exterior walls were covered to look like gingerbread, “icing” coated the roof, and candy and lollipops hung on the eves.
In the front yard stood three life-size gingerbread people: Mother, father and daughter – wearing a water polo uniform.
“I think the incredible thing about that is that they made all the decorations themselves,” Judge Irene Day said.
Third place went to 731 Lexington Place, where Mike Osler, another repeat entrant, also outdid his previous displays. “The 12 Days of Christmas” fills his yard, with characters all fashioned from wood by Osler himself.
“I actually start re-working the figures in July,” Osler said.
He also spent countless hours programming the lights of the display to coordinate with a 15-minute program of Christmas music he radio broadcasts to the cars that visit his home. From the Beach Boys’ “Little Saint Nick” to Peter Wilhousky’s “Carol of the Bells,” Osler programmed the lights to match the music down to hundredths of a second.
“I’m getting a lot more picky than I need to be,” he said. “But if I’m out here and it’s not right, I go crazy.”
“The 12 Days of Christmas” song is the program’s finale, and every last contest judge sang along Wednesday night.
Osler said his electric bill hovers around $50 above normal this time of year because his program keeps only a few lights on at any given time.
While Osler’s Christmas lights were minimal, the four homes that won the best neighborhood award for the third year in a row were visible from blocks away. At the corner of Orchard Drive and Eighth Street, polar bears, the Grinch and even SpongeBob SquarePants greet visitors from the yards of Larry Pierotti, Steve Peterson, Dana and Carolyn Kempton and Manuel Pulido.
