North Olympic Peninsula residents and businesses are fighting the long winter nights by filling the darkness with holiday lights.
After the winter solstice at 8:49 p.m. Dec. 21, the holiday decorations will appear to be winning as daylight starts to lengthen.
In the meantime, the biggest, brightest battle against the dark side is in Blyn at the Jamestown S’Klallam tribe’s 7 Cedars Casino and nearby buildings.
Nearly 2 million LED lights are strung along the casino, Longhouse Deli, medical center, fire station and south and north campuses of the tribal headquarters.
Landscape contractor Patrick Walker of Gig Harbor, who has set up the displays for nine years, said it took an average of 14 people three weeks to install them.
New LED lights
The LEDs (light-emitting diodes) replaced conventional bulbs four years ago, significantly increasing capacity for lighting with the same amount of power while comforting the tribe’s environmental conscience, said facilities manager Bill Laubner.
The low-voltage devices also save infrastructure, Walker said, requiring fewer wires, extension cords and timers.
Walker operates a charter boat out of Westport and runs a commercial landscape company that specializes in public works when he isn’t minding the displays, inspecting them two to four days each week.
“The maintenance is neverending,” he said.
He turned on the displays a couple of days before Thanksgiving, the better to greet families driving onto the Olympic Peninsula for the holiday.
He’ll turn them off after the New Year’s weekend. He’ll need eight to nine workers over as many days to remove them.
Sequim, Forks lights
In nearby Sequim, two bright spots have caught the eyes of Sequim-Dungeness Valley Chamber of Commerce officials.
They recommend a highly decorated barn at Hendrickson and Kendall roads west of town and a home on South Seventh Street near Hemlock Street.
The intersection of Sequim Avenue and Washington Street downtown also hosts a brilliant display.
In Beaver, employees of the Hungry Bear Cafe were replacing lights damaged by the week’s storms, but the interior housed a holiday wonderland of illumination complete with Santa.
In Forks, Lissy Andros of the chamber of commerce recommended that drivers cruise Oso Way to see some “really nice lights” and the Terra Eden Street neighborhood west of U.S. Highway 101.
Some strung out
The tribe’s exhibit started before many home- and business owners began their annual light-up-the-night efforts.
Willie Nelson, owner of All Points Charters & Tours, said he’d spend this weekend scouting Port Angeles before mapping out his excursion through holiday displays.
He’ll start the two-hour tours at 7 p.m. Monday at the Safeway parking lot on Third Street.
One tour a night will be offered through Dec. 30, except for Dec. 18, when no tour is scheduled, and Christmas Eve, when two tours will be provided, one at 5:30 and the other at 7:30 p.m.
Nelson said he’d offer the double tours to view three blocks of luminarias that are displayed on Second Street west of Ennis Street each year.
The trips will include refreshments. Fares are $7.50 for adults, $3.50 for children age 6 to 15 and free for younger children. For reservations, call 360-460-7131 or 360-565-1139.
Nelson said stops probably will include the Osterberg home, 1521 S. O St. (“the largest display in town”) and “a tremendous amount of lights” on Sixth Street between Pine and Cedar streets.
Others strung up
In Jefferson County, stormy weather delayed the opening of another favorite with holiday peepers, Whitney Gardens and Nursery, Brinnon.
“Probably this weekend, we’re going to put them up,” said employee Connie Landers.
She wouldn’t predict how many lights would be displayed.
“It’s going to depend on how much time we have and how many we can put up,” she said.
Further north in Jefferson County, Laurie Medlicott, a volunteer at the Port Townsend Visitor Center, said the lights were bright at the corner of 19th and Sheridan streets, toward North Beach and at the Vintage Hardware Center, 2000 W. Sims Way, where owner Ken Kelly “is hugely decorated.”
An intricate display can be seen at 1530 31st St.
And, Medlicott said, “we’re pretty cute down here at the visitor center,” 2409 Jefferson St.
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Reporter James Casey can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5074, or at jcasey@peninsuladailynews.com.
