Each year as soon as the April Sound Civic Association is sure everyone has had a chance to complete all their outside lighting for the holidays, the Board meets together, divides up the neighborhood, and go out in separate ways to canvas April Sound and search for the very best lighting exhibits. They try to get the word out of the date, posting it in the Newsletter and on-line, so that folks can have all their lights on and all their blow-up figures standing and ready by 6:00Â p.m. That happened on Monday evening, December 18th.
After all the driving around through the community, they met back at the home of ASCA President Matt Crews to hash out all the selections and decide while enjoying food, drinks and friendship. Now that they can use the benefit of cell phone videos, it’s way easier than relying on paper and pencil. Then, every winner has to be notified and give permission for their information to be listed. Just from driving through the neighborhood a little, there are so many beautiful exhibits that I can only imagine how difficult the decisions were.
I am proud to announce the winners of the 2023 April Sound Holiday Lighting as follows: BEST TOWNHOUSE/CONDO – Tina Otter, 102 Lakeview Village; BEST USE OF CHARACTER – Greg and Linda Perry – 86 Summers Wind; BEST WHIMSICAL – John and Tina Roland, 88 April Wind Drive South; GRISWOLD AWARD – Keith and Ashley Kiker – 232 April Waters Drive West; CLASSIC CHRISTMAS – Daniel and Suzanne Reed – 157 Parkway; BEST EAST SIDE – Brad and Coleen Finch, 204 Dawns Edge; BEST RELIGIOUS PRESENTATION – Philip Ruthstrom and Lynda Deloach, 191 Dawns Edge Drive; BEST WEST SIDE – Erv and Penny Funk – 104 April Waters Drive West.
This way, you can copy this list and drive around and view all the winners. Congratulations to all the winners and to all those who go out of their way to make our whole community shine all during the holidays. Also, I’m sending a big shout-out and thank you to all those, especially Matt and Karen Crews, (Yes, we saw Karen riding with Matt!) who have patrolled the entire Boulevard daily to make sure all the holiday lighting is working correctly each evening. As Chairman of the Holiday Lighting Committee for ASCA, I have proudly watched our Boulevard lighting grow each year exponentially, and, even though John and I have had to retire from climbing in the rocks in the dark to fix the GFI’s, we are most grateful to those who can and do! Please enjoy as you drive the Boulevard at night. AND, be sure to see the new tree on Reserve E near the front of the property that shows better as you are driving out of the neighborhood. It’s a definite great addition to our lighting exhibit!
It’s Christmas Eve as you are reading this. There are so many grateful feelings and good wishes in my heart this year that it’s hard to express. I wish each of you who will be reading this a very blessed holiday time, joy, love, happiness, good health, friendships, and God’ blessings now and always! MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Ann Marie Ricci may be reached at jamricci@consolidated.net.Â
