Christmas

Carols, candy and Christmas wish lists were the order of the day Wednesday, when Santa and Mrs. Claus visited Imagination Station Child Care and Preschool in Le Roy. Mrs. Claus read the holiday classic, "A Visit from St. Nicholas," and handed out candy canes as the children took turns on Santa's lap. The children also sang some of their favorite carols, including "Jingle Bells" and "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer."

Driving around this time of year you can always find some wonderful displays of Christmas lights and figurines. Since the inception in 2011, Dean Brooks pictured above (family dog "Princess," daughter Mickayla, wife Jennifer and son Spencer) have made this a family activity that has grown over time.

The display at his home at starts getting assembled right after Thanksgiving and usually takes about a week or so depending on weather and family schedules.

"I first started with about 3,000 bulbs, a couple figurines but it has grown to over 7,000 lights and we have been transitioning to a LED display only," Dean said. "The LED lights are brighter, more brilliant of a color, more energy efficient and I can differentiate between those and the incandescent lights.

"The possibilities are huge because the LEDs can be changed to multiple colors."

A new item this year is “talking Rudolph” in the front of the house. The show runs on over an hour then loops back to the beginning through a computer-generated software program and FM transmitter that you can tune into 91.7 when you are in front of his home that the lights and music are synced to.

The plan next year is to expand the megatron tree to have words flashing across it plus much more. The viewing schedule can be found at his Web site http://www.brooksfamilylights.com/

The family's address is 5671 E. Main Street Road, Batavia

Also a Facebook page here: Brooks Family Lights

Jess Colopy is a journalism student Columbia College Chicago and as a class project she produced this photo essay comparing Christmas in her hometown with her college town, Oakfield and Chicago. 

Chicago: Millennium Park’s Christmas Tree, viewed by millions of visitors every year. The 64-foot-tall tree was lit during a massive ceremony on Nov. 24, where the cast of “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and members of the Chicago Opera performed Christmas carols to the crowd of thousands.

Oakfield: (Photo courtesy of Jan Colopy.) Roughly 50 six- to seven-foot trees border Oakfield’s Triangle Park. The trees were lit on Dec. 5 in a ceremony that about 100 people were expected to attend. The trees were purchased by non-for-profits, family businesses, and families wishing to memorialize a lost loved one. 

Chicago: Wreaths and presents adorn The Art Institute of Chicago’s giant bronze lion statues on Michigan Avenue. The lions stand larger than life, towering over visitors who stand next to them for photographs.

Oakfield: (Photo courtesy of Jan Colopy.)  Small, lit wreaths adorn the Village of Oakfield Office building on Main Street. The office is conveniently located next to the town’s only traffic light, part of which is visible on the right. “Welcome” banners sporting a Christmas tree also hang off of the old-fashioned streetlights.

Chicago: The Prudential building and other skyscrapers light up red and green for the holiday season. Other buildings such as the Willis Tower and the John Hancock Center are also well known for lighting up the Chicago skyline for Christmas.

Oakfield: (Photo courtesy of Jan Colopy.)  A piece of watering equipment on a family farm on the outskirts of Oakfield is decked out in lights for Christmas. This is a recent tradition among farmers in the rural village.

For my photo essay, I have chosen to explore the differences between Christmas in Chicago, an urban metropolis, and Oakfield, New York, my rural hometown of less than 1800 people. I thought this would be an appropriate topic for myself specifically because this year is my first Christmas in the city, and I started noticing the differences as soon as the decorations started going up and the Christmas sales began. After some research, I realized that not much has been done on the topic. An article by the Harris County Public Library cites the movies that explore the difference between small town and big city Christmases -- you know, the ones where the tough, big-city businessman too wrapped up in his work meets the small-town girl who finds a way to break into his tough heart and get him in the holiday spirit -- but those movies are all I can really find on the topic.

Obviously, my photo essay will be different because it shows what Christmas in a real small town is like compared to what Christmas is actually like in a big city. Both places are cold and generally snowy, but the atmosphere is completely different. Articles on the Christmas festivities in each individual place prove that. The City of Chicago’s Web site’s event page for the Millennium Park Christmas Tree lighting lists the big name opera star and musical cast that will be headlining the event, as well as the information about the original home of the massive tree to be lit in the park. Thousands of people attended. On the other hand, an article from the Batavia Daily News discusses the meaning of the small, hand-decorated trees that memorialize lost loved ones and special non-for-profit causes in Oakfield’s Triangle Park. A marching band information Web site states that Chicago’s Magnificent Mile Lights Parade draws more than one million spectators with its elaborate floats and familiar Disney characters. The Batavia Daily News states that a Christmas parade in Batavia - -a small city with a population of less than 7,000 about 15 minutes from Oakfield -- drew just over 1,000 people from surrounding towns with its floats from local family businesses, churches, and non-for-profits.

Everything is bigger in Chicago, while everything in Oakfield is more humbly done, but generally more personal. There are certainly advantages to each way of celebrating Christmas, but maybe the two are not as different as they seem. At heart, both places simply want to make the holiday season a fun, memorable time for its citizens, and each place’s respective celebrations simply reflect the atmosphere they are held in. Chicago is home to more than three million people, so its “bigger is better” attitude about the holiday is nothing but what one would expect. Oakfield is a quiet, conservative town, and its simple, heartfelt festivities that focus on giving back to the community suit it perfectly. And, honestly, neither place is wrong, despite what biased holiday movies might try to say about the impersonal aspects of big city Christmas, or the boringness of small towns. Though they may be different, they both focus on what is important: the spirit of the season.

LeRoyans gathered Saturday for the annual Community Christmas Tree lighting at the site of the former Wiss Hotel. The tree was donated by Lathan Tree Service, and is decorated with ornaments donated by community businesses, organizations and individuals.

Le Roy's Winterfest celebration included craft projects at Woodward Memorial Library, a visit by Santa to the Moose Family Center, the "Jinglin' All the Way" 5K/10K and more. The celebration officially closes at 6 p.m. today, with the Community Christmas Tree lighting.

Cameron Stefani, a Le Roy 10th-grader, was the winner of the Jinglin' All the Way 5K with an unofficial time of 19:47. Second-place finisher — and top female finisher — was Caylin DePuy, of Le Roy, with a time of 21 minutes.

Le Roy’s Winterfest is Saturday, and fear not — one of the most anticipated guests is definitely on the way.

And it isn’t Santa Claus (although he’s coming to town, too).

We’re talking about the Community Christmas Tree, which has graced the former Wiss Hotel site at Main and Lake streets every season since Lathan Tree Service donated it in 2013.

The 30-foot-tall artificial tree will be in place by Thursday — Friday at the latest, said Carrie Lathan, whose husband Andrew owns the business.

“This year we’re kind of cutting it close,” Lathan said Monday. “But don’t worry, we’ll have it up on time.”

Winterfest will feature a host of activities and events for all ages beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday. The Community Christmas Tree Lighting will conclude festivities at 6 p.m.

The event is sponsored by the Le Roy Business Council, and numerous businesses and organizations will offer sales, specials and open houses.

A highlight is Santa himself, who will visit with children at the Moose Family Center, 21 Bank St., beginning at 1 p.m. 

A “Santa’s Cutest Elf” contest is slated for 12:30 p.m., also at the Moose Family Center.

Other scheduled events include:

— Face painting, coloring and more from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Town Hall, 48 Main St.; and an inflatable obstacle course from 10 a.m. to noon at the Fire Hall, 3 W. Main St.

— A “create a craft” station from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 7 Clay St.

— Numerous activities from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Woodward Memorial Library, 7 Wolcott St. Crafts include paper snow globes, bowtie pasta wreaths, and wreath and candy-cane bead ornaments. Children may also decorate a sugar cookie and watch the holiday movie favorite “Elf,” which will play on a loop.

— A basket raffle and pie sale from 10 a.m. until sold out at United Methodist Church, 10 Trigon Park.

— The Community Holiday Bazaar from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Moose Family Center, 21 Bank St. Non-perishable items (including canned goods, toiletries, diapers, winter clothing and back-to-school supplies) are being collected for donation to the Le Roy Pantry & Help Fund, LCCP Backpack Program and the Back to School Supply Program.

— A chocolate candy sale by the Olive Branch Women from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Masonic Lodge, 12 Bank St.

— A Boy Scout fresh wreath sale from 10 a.m. until sold out on Main Street near the Bank of Castile. 

— The “Jinglin All The Way” 5K/10K run/walk, which begins at 3 p.m. at the Masonic Lodge on Bank Street and follows a course through the village. Registration is $20 plus a new, unwrapped toy or $15 gift card. Proceeds benefit the Le Roy Food Pantry. Also, every donated canned good or nonperishable food item will earn a raffle ticket for a prize drawing. For more information and a list of needed items visit tritheoatka.com.

For more information and updates, visit Le Roy’s Annual Winterfest Page on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/LRWinterfest/

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Businesses and families are once again welcome to provide ornaments for the Community Christmas Tree. They should be at least 6 inches tall, and can be dropped off at Town Hall by Thursday.

“The only specification we give is that they’re durable, because they’ll be outside,” Lathan said.

Ornaments will be zip-tied to the tree, and will stay on the branches year-round. But anyone who would like their ornament returned at the end of the season, can call Lathan Tree Service at (585) 768-2278 to make arrangements.

Dylan Brew sent in this picture he took of some of the Christmas lights on display at the DiSalvo residence on Fargo Road, Stafford.

Batavia's First Presbyterian Church will be alive with rousing holiday spirit when "Christmas with Vox, a Festival of Carols" comes around on Friday, Dec. 20.

"Vox Lumine," a professional chorus group made up of 25 members from all over Western and Central New York, is performing for the public free of charge at the church, at 300 E. Main St. in Batavia.

Ann Emmans, minister of music at First Presbyterian, says this is going to be "the church's gift to the community."

"We had ('Vox Lumine') at the church for a concert in May," Emmans said, "and it was delightful.  We thought, 'What would be more wonderful than to have them back for Christmas?' "

Costs are being covered by the church's memorial donation funds from the last few years.

The concert starts at 7:30 p.m. and will probably run about an hour and a half, according to "Vox Lumine" first tenor Mark Ross.

A reception with Christmas cookies and punch will follow in the church's fellowship area.

The performance will feature 17 Christmas songs, including classics such as "Carol of the Bells" and "Joy to the World" and lesser know works, as well as pieces with different ethnic backgrounds (including Polish and Italian).

Emmans stressed that the music is "non-commercial" and has a "sacred character."

"It's more about the joy of the season," she said.

"(The Christmas season) is a time when people appreciate music even more than they normally do," Ross said, "because it's associated with the events of the holiday."

"Vox Lumine" was formed in March 2010 by founder and director Brandon Johnson, D.M.A, director of choral activities at Houghton College.

Ross, of Batavia, said they have done concerts as far east as Ithaca and as far west as Orchard Park.

Because members live in scattered locations (the member living at the farthest distance from Batavia is from Syracuse), Johnson sends the music to each of them individually. They will come together in two rehearsals between now and Dec. 20 to "meld" (in Emmans' words) what they have learned together. So each will quite literally bring his/her own voice to the performance.

A Houghton graduate, a member of First Presbyterian Church for 41 years and currently commissioned lay pastor at Stone Church Presbyterian in Bergen, Ross is very happy to be a part of the upcoming performance. It coincides with his retirement from New York Central Mutual Insurance, where he worked for 27 years as an insurance adjustor.

"It's a wonderful combination," he said with a smile on his face.

For more information, call the church at 343-0505 or e-mail Emmans at HEmmans@aol.com.

Pictured Emmans and Ross at the First Presbyterian Church sanctuary.

Top photo submitted by Mark Ross.

It's starting to look a bit like Christmas downtown as businesses begin installing their holiday window displays. The Business Improvement District sponsors an annual window display contest.

Yesterday and today, Brandi Bruggman has been painting a "White Christmas" mural at Steve Hawley's insurance office.

The DiSalvos have been bringing Christmastime merriment to children and adults alike for three quarters of a score, and counting. The Fargo Road Lights are a staple on the holiday itinerary of many for miles around. Over a mile of underground cabling and hundreds of heavy-duty extension cords come together to power a plethora of recognizable characters from every holiday book and jingle imaginable. Not to mention, a million multicolored lights dot the landscape in every direction.

We are reminded by such communal generosity – that there may be no greater gift to our little ones than all those many moments we can go out and find with them, that instill a snowballing sense of wonder, splendor, and amazement in their eyes with the world around them. There is comfort in the knowledge that kindness can be genuine and compassion abundant. It's not far – in this case, it's down the road, and over the hill.

As always, Jim, Connie, and Annabella encourage you to come and explore. You are more than free to get out of your car and roam around. And this Christmas weekend, maybe – just maybe – we'll even get a bit of snow to go with all those pretty lights.

Top Photo: Jim, Connie, and Annabella DiSalvo in front of their home on Fargo Road.

Visitors are warmly encouraged to get out of their cars to really take it all in.