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40 °F 5 Day Forecast Tuesday, December 9, 2003 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | eSouthernOregon | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend November 29, 2003 Ashland volunteers Annette Lewis, left, and Patty Romeo patrol during the Festival of Lights in downtown Ashland on Friday. ‘It’s really magical’ Spectators‘ooh’ and ‘aah’as downtown Ashland is illuminated By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune Making magic is not always as easy as flipping a switch. Every year, there’s a minor glitch as Stacy Page, owner of Holiday Illuminations of Medford, lights up Ashland. "With thousands of lights, it’s stressful," said Page, whose crew spent a busy day Friday making sure the 11th Annual Festival of Lights wowed the community. But the end result is impressive. "It’s really magical," said Alex Reed, owner of Alex’s restaurant. "It’s just boom and all of them come on." Advertisement Reed has braved ladders and leaned over balconies to string lights, but no more. "They (the illumination company) do it in a half hour," he said. "It takes us two days to string them and do them all." Normally, Reed and his workers put up their own lights, but he just ran out of time, which is why he called Holiday Illuminations. For the past four years, Page’s company, which has a truck with a cherry picker, has become the prince of light in Ashland, now stringing bulbs for about 95 percent of the businesses. "It takes us six weeks to go through the city and put up all the lights," he said. A landscaper during the warmer months, Page has seen his illumination business glow brighter each year. He gets calls from businesses like Albertson’s and Bi-Mart in Medford. He has also sets up displays for about 20 residential customers. In some cases he even decorates Christmas trees in houses. Page, who charges $35 an hour, estimates it costs about $75-$500 to light up a business. After four years, it has become a little easier to illuminate Ashland. "The first year we didn’t know where all the outlets were," he recalls. Then there’s the problem with GFI (ground fault interrupted) outlets that have more of a tendency to trip than your average socket. Sometimes the lights are plugged in the wrong socket, other times the timers are faulty. "There’s always one building where the lights don’t come on," he said. While spectators "ooh" and "ahh" as most of the lights come on, Page and his crew scurry over to figure out why a building is still in the dark. The lights are taken down after New Year’s, which is a little early for some businesses. Reed would like to leave the lights up longer, perhaps until February. "It’s too soon to take them down in January," he said. "It’s still cold and dark, and it seems so cozy and inviting with the lights." Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times