Daily Item reveals runners-up in Christmas season contest

LYNN – After weeks of nominations and votes from area residents, four homes from Lynn and Saugus were chosen as the runners-up for the first annual Daily Item Holiday Lights Contest.The Daily Item asked local residents to nominate their friends and neighbors who had the best-decorated homes for the holidays.Votes were counted and the list of nominees were cut to the top six best-decorated homes.Daily Item employees then judged the homes and chose four lucky runners-up, along with one winning home that will be featured in Friday’s paper.The four runners-up, in no particular order, are:u The Ritters of 37 Arbor St., Lynn;u The D’Amatos of 35 Riverbank Road, Saugus;u The Coles of 21 Lansing Road, Lynn;u The Scalonas of 114 President St., Lynn.Each home included their own special features, but the homeowners shared the same reason for decorating their homes. “It’s all about the spirit of the season,” said Victor Scalona.114 President St., LynnScalona says his family begins to decorate the day after Thanksgiving and typically adds something new to the collection every day up until Christmas.”There’s so much out there, but every day we add something new,” he said.Scalona says his family has been decorating their home for the past 30 years.”We’ve always loved decorating,” he says. “We’ve been here for 30 years and the display differs every year. We like to change it up.”The Scalonas have an impressive set up of hundreds of Christmas lights displayed on the home and in the yard, a snow generator on the roof that produces bursts of fake snow and an approximately 10-foot-tall lit Christmas tree that stands on the side of the yard. There’s also an illuminated sign that explains why the flashing and flickering lights look like they’re dancing to the tune of music.The sign sits in the front window of the home inviting admiring visitors to “Tune to 107.7 FM” on their car radios.Tuning to the station will allow you to listen to 10 Christmas songs on a playlist that Scalona made and runs from his laptop on a program that uses a synthesizer.The music generated from the computer is what controls the lighting in Scalona’s yard and makes the lights flash to the music.Scalona hopes people will visit his home.”It’s nice to see people come and we have a good show this year,” he said.21 Lansing Road, LynnChris Cole of 21 Lansing Road, Lynn, says decorating for Christmas is a project he enjoys completing every year.”It’s an enjoyment every year getting out there and putting the lights up. It’s a big part of the holiday season,” Cole said.The family’s yard is decked out in multicolored and white Christmas lights that wrap around the trees in thick strips, making them resemble oversized multi-colored candy canes.The chimney on the side of the house has an illuminated outline of a Christmas tree, which stretches almost all the way to the top. The illuminated nativity scene that stands in the front yard is what Cole likes the most.”It really represents Christmas,” he said.Cole said he tries to add something new to the display each year, but stopped purchasing new items in recent years. “I just try to maximize what I can do each year with what I have,” he said.37 Arbor St., LynnDaniel Ritter, 64, of 37 Arbor St., Lynn, says growing up in a home that was decorated each year for Christmas inspired him to do the same.”I’ve always been a part of it growing up,” he said. “I’ve lived here for 10 years and before that I decorated every home I ever lived in.The lights around Ritter’s home and yard follow the music that’s played from inside his home and echoes through the yard.The light posts in the front yard are festively lit with a reindeer attached to one of them, looking like it’s ready to take off for a trip home to the North Pole.Ritter says he waits until after Christmas every year and buys decorations once they go on sale.”Five years ago I got our big 8-foot tall inflatable snowman for 15 bucks after Christmas,” he said. “Those usually sell for a lot more.