Let there be lights

Saturday, December 11, 2010
Banner Graphic/JARED JERNAGAN The temperatures were warmer Friday, but it was still a cold day to be on top of the Putnam County Courthouse or in a utility bucket . All the same, county employees spent part of the morning running strands of Christmas lights from the courthouse to buildings around the square. "We're going to do this the first of November next year," County Planner Kim Hyten joked. Above Hyten hands the final strand of lights to Tom Gilson in the bucket of an HOP service van. This strand was affixed to the second floor of 15 N. Indiana St. The Greencastle Department of Public Works also hung some of the lights, while courthouse security officer Heath Smiley did traffic control.

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  • Thank You, I will say that to all of those who took part. When this tradition started up last Century, I believe the expense labor and all was furnished by some of the Past businesses on the square. A&P grocery, hardware stores, and the others around the very busy square. A&P and others moved closed and the lack of young able hands.. It stopped. Then with the new business people and the formation of a New Main Street with the help of its director Bill Dory and Cundiff Electric and others it came back. We had another organization Merchants Association to pay a large potion of the bill to get the new lights made. Then along came the Pat McCune from Ace Hardware, David Lane from Western Auto (Sears), Lester from Wilson's Photography, Steve from Mason Jewelry, Ann Clark, Keith Brackney & many other volunteers that replaced all the bulbs every other year. This was an evening with help of children and high school students replacing the busted bulbs and/or changing out the colors of the bulbs. Along with the help with GTE bucket truck and its crew. Sometimes it was a PSI truck, but it worked better with a GTE truck and then count on a donation from PSI to pay Main Street back for the electrical cost. The cost for the light bill is at time a hefty price. This was sometimes a challenge always with the weather even in November. So this isn't a small challenge to get done.... Thank You for continuing on with the tradition!

    MERRY CHRISTMAS to All .......

    -- Posted by macvrod on Sat, Dec 11, 2010, at 1:43 PM
  • Why bother now? Only every other city in Indiana, sorry America had ceremonies on thanksgiving for their christmas lighting, its supposed to excite shoppers, get them in to a christmas mood! Bring joy to kids to see the lights! Look at Danville, they are REMARKABLE in celebrating Christmas! That city is always so beautiful, and here comes greencastle at the last minute, putting up a string or two. Oi....

    -- Posted by BTruth1958 on Sun, Dec 12, 2010, at 7:57 PM
  • BTruth1958..... just gotta rain on every ones parade - don't cha? Thanks to those involved in the project... it is beautiful! Better late than not at all.

    -- Posted by BGreader on Mon, Dec 13, 2010, at 7:48 AM
  • Driving thru downtown tonite you just can't help but notice all the lights that are OUT! A third of the wreath on the courthouse is out, the lights strung from the courthouse to the buildings OUT, a measly single string of clear lights around one of the spruce trees part of them out. Oh yeah its just beautiful, it looks half as*ed as always with anything greencastle does. If you want to see beautiful go to Danville, Crawfordsville, Avon, they are the true efforts in making their town proud!

    -- Posted by BTruth1958 on Tue, Dec 14, 2010, at 12:19 AM
  • I was on my way to work at 5:30 Sunday morning and passed the square. I thought the lights looked great! thanks to Tom, Kim and all the other guys that worked hard getting the lights up in the extreme cold. Some of us appreciate it!!

    To BTruth1958: maybe you could get yourself up to the courthouse in mid October and volunteer your time to replace the bulbs that apparently make you so unhappy and then you can help these guys hang them. Yea, that's what I thought, just a complainer!

    -- Posted by indianaresident on Tue, Dec 14, 2010, at 8:36 AM
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