Friendly competition lights up area
December 22, 2014
Neighbours get into holiday spirit
Media – Evan Radford | The StarPhoenix
Look up. It’s Santa shooting off fireworks from Jody Minakakis’ roof, strobe light and all.
Underneath the red hat and fake white beard is Minakakis; he stands on his own roof, proudly shooting off fireworks, arms spread open under the night sky.
He’s trying to catch the eyes of the decoration judges.
“I knew there was no way I was going to have as many lights as (my neighbours),” Minakakis said.
This was the predicament the Rosewood-area homeowner and his wife found themselves in late Thursday night.
The pair were in a heated battle with rival homeowners Luke and Alex van-Duyvendyk.
“I knew I had to put a splash together — he welded the Christmas tree on his front lawn,” Minakakis said.
He planned his spectacle just so: Start lighting the fireworks as soon as the judges pulled onto his street, steal their attention away from vanDuyvendyk’s structural masterpiece and claim the $1,500 prize.
“We always wanted to decorate with lights. This was kind of an excuse to go all out,” said Luke, who aimed to best his competitor.