PHILLIPS — One holiday over and another on the way combined with sunshine and warm temperatures awakened individuals and groups in Phillips to begin their Christmas Decorating for the “Home and Business Decorating Contest for Phillips, Avon, and Madrid.

Volunteers from Phillips Area Community Center (PACC) transported the newly refurbished wreaths to Main Street awaiting Ron Searles with his lift and helpers Ryan Bachelder and Bill Wilcox to place the wreaths on the poles. Members of the PACC have worked several hours to brighten the old wreaths that have hung for many years. Thanks to many donations from individuals who each year help make them amazing.

A lot of time was spent to tighten up the brackets on the poles, add new straps, longer screws, everything necessary to stabilize them from the heavy winds that always appear during the holiday season.

Although Searles, dressed in his Christmas hat and singing Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, may be the leader, it’s Bill Wilcox who skillfully maneuvers the small lift in, near, up and down the poles. Bachelder and Bruce Godin have all the necessary tools at the ready as they lift the heavy wreaths up to the lift.

After hanging all the wreaths, they continued up Main Street to the Scarecrow Reunion lot where the large fir tree was awaiting lights. Since there is no electricity on the lot, the board voted to install solar lights on the tree.

Paul Caruso was in charge of obtaining the lights and large solar bulbs to hang on the tree. This was a dream come true for Brian Donovan for the last three years he has been trying to come up with a way to have lights. When Caruso mentioned so many lights have gone solar that this would be a way to get started. Fake colorful packages will be placed under the tree to make it more festive. A thumbs up from Caruso to the two men on the left, 30 feet up in the air, as he guided them in placement. All this was accomplished shortly after 12:00 p.m.

Further down on Main Street a group of women were decorating at the library. This group of women had been meeting the last few weeks planning as “little elves,” according to Jennifer Searles, to make things happen this season.

Ron Searles and his crew continued to Susy Sanders house to help with the decorating for Winter Wonderland, a project sponsored by private citizens. He then returned towards home late Saturday afternoon to help with lights for Katie Steward. December 3rd he will return with a lift to help decorate the Old Hardware Store and the Local Bull.

Also decorating were members of Blue Mountain Lodge the first building scene coming up pleasant St. Coming to Phillips at night is worth the drive

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