By RHEA-FRANCES TETLEY
Staff Writer

The CrestLIGHTS lighting contest had more participants in this their second year and much less snow. Last Friday and Saturday nights, the judges drove past the entrants’ houses and businesses and chose the winners. They have released a list of the entrants so locals can drive around and see the many great lighting displays in Crestline.

As the judges drove around both evenings, they saw many homes not on their lists which were also spectacular. They passed out thank you cards to all the participants and hope more of the decorated homes enter the contest next year.

Winning in first place was David Schmitz, who lives at 24095 Altdorf, where the lights were covering his home and sheds with a projection of green dancing lights onto a tree, plus he also decorated the forest across the street from him with deer and other lighted forest animals and even lit the trees.
In second place were Vic Hdz and Tilda Munoz, with their light display covering the house, which also contained daytime visuals of Charlie Brown and Snoopy around the tree at their home on the dead end street of 397 Wald Ct.

In third place out in Cedarpines Park was Carl White at 21435 Crest Forest Drive. His lights were everywhere and exciting.

In the business division, there were many entrants. Driving down Lake Drive, it is obvious the businesses stepped up this year to brighten up the end of an otherwise dreary year.

Taking first place was Akasha Healing Center, with their Hawaiian-themed Christmas, complete with the music of the 12 days of Christmas done Hawaiian style, decorations that covered the building and extended into the parking lot, plus there was a hula dancing panda and snowball-throwing kids in Hawaiian shirts. It was quite festive.

In second place was the Alpine Mall’s “Winter Walk.” The interior of the open-air mall is festively decorated in colorful lights and is so inviting; it is recommended that folks get out of their cars to experience it, as driving by doesn’t capture the joyous feeling it creates.

Driving by Bizzyland, which received third place, is exciting with its huge blinking snowflakes on the front of the building and colorful lights encircling the windows. It is sad they have been closed all year due to the shutdowns; hopefully, next year they will also be able to show off their gardens and musical stage as well.

Some of the other home locations in the contest that are wonderfully decorated are: 746 Bergschrund; 24550 Bernard; 264 Darfo; 24508 Geneva; 23940 Lynx (Nightmare before Christmas); 1042 Playground; 1035 Summit; 718 Fern or 23636 Rocky Dell; 674 Rocky Loop; 749 North Village Lane Loop; 449 and 451 Wylerhorn; and The Treasure Box’s Winter Wonderland hillside walk as viewed from Lake Drive.

The best decorated home winner gets a CrestLIGHTS trophy and gift basket with items from local businesses, while the winning business receives a lighted Nutcracker trophy and a Kit-Cat Klock.

Last year’s CrestLIGHTS contest winner, Jerry and Paige Renfro, again set up a wonderful holiday display, similar to last year’s winning display, at 24938 Knoll Circle, which is a delight for the eyes in daylight or at night. Last year, almost the day after they won, a snow storm arrived, forcing it to be taken down quickly, before the community could enjoy viewing it.

The judges were local business owners Travis Paternostro of The Crestline Jerky Co. and Treasure Box and Co.’s Gary Lopez. They judged on the use of lights, the “wow” factor and creativity. They thanked everyone that participated. Lopez added, “I wish those that entered and the rest of the community a very Merry Christmas.”