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It's Homeowners' Time To Shine

Harold Valentine/Tampa Tribune

Wooden cutouts were part of the holiday celebration at 4404 Kettle Creek Court in the Hammocks community

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By HAROLD VALENTINE, The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 22, 2007

NORTHDALE - In the Golf Club III division of Northdale, Brian and Katherine McKinney took their 20-month-old son Patrick out for an evening walk to check out the neighborhood's holiday lights in the dark for the first time.

"This season is especially intriguing for him," Katherine McKinney said. "Last year he was not old enough to appreciate them as much as this year."

"He doesn't comprehend the Christmas part yet," Brian McKinney said. "He just likes the lights."

The McKinney family stopped to appreciate David and Joy Crabtree's Christmas lights at 4321 Honey Vista Circle. The Crabtrees won a $50 gift certificate to Sweetbay supermarket this year from the Northdale Civic Association for the best lights in the neighborhood.

David Crabtree said he spent five years collecting decorations. "It's pretty expensive," he said. "If you went out and did this in one year it'd cost you a lot of money. You got to wait until after Christmas to buy your lights."

The NCA awarded $50 gift certificates from various businesses to one resident from each of Northdale's 13 neighborhoods.

"The only criteria," said Nancy Stearns, an NCA spokeswoman, "is that the homeowner of the winning house be a currently-paid member of the Northdale Civic Association."

Stearns said a list of homes was made by neighborhood representatives from each of the 13 communities. On Dec. 15, the NCA's board went for a ride to see all homes and voted for their favorites. The traditional hayride this year was replaced by a small covered bus, Stearns said, due to rainy weather.

"I had to fix some of the displays because of the storms that rolled through," David Crabtree said.

For German Sanchez and his wife, Olga, at 16119 Oakmanor Drive, this was the second year they won for their lights in Fox Hollow. "It took me about 15 hours over three days to set up," German said.

Charles and Charlene Davis at 4004 Woodacre Lane also won a gift certificate for the first time for their display in Silverhill. Charlene said it took about two days to set up the lights.

"I didn't expect it," Charles said.

DISPLAYS TO CHECK OUT

•10406 Spring Rose Drive, Tampa FL 33626

•5118 Rawls Road, Tampa FL 33624

•1235 Waterbury Loop, Lutz FL 33559

•12014 Littleberry Court, Tampa FL 33635

•6704 N. Gunlock Ave., Tampa FL 33614

•7506 Brookhaven Court, Tampa FL 33634

•11048 Streamside Drive, Tampa FL 33624

•10511 Gretna Green Drive, Tampa FL 33626

Reporter Harold Valentine can be reached at (813) 865-1526 or hvalentine@tampatrib.com.

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