Thursday, December 6, 2012
Holiday lights are pared back to lower family's electric bill.
After lighting up the corner of Washington Avenue and 12 Mile Road for 34 years, John and Ethlyn can't bring themselves to stop stringing holiday lights, even if it means it will cost more - a lot more. On Wednesday night, visitors listened to the Ungers' mechanical yard Santa sing "Walking in a Winter Wonderland" as they read a sign with this message: Dear Friends and Neighbors, I want to thank you for coming to see our display. It is the joy of the season for us. We found it necessary to downsize this year due to a Smart Meter installed by DTE last year in October. It doubled our electric bill for November and January, but more than tripled the bill for December. We did not want to disappoint any of our friends by not putting up a …
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
The annual downtown holiday tree lighting doesn't kick off until Thursday, but many Royal Oak businesses are already glowing.
This year's tree lighting ceremony at the Royal Oak Farmers Market, set for 6:15 p.m. Thursday, will be an extravaganza. Not only will visitors hear carolers, enjoy a special performance by the Salvation Army Band and the Royal Oak Children's Choir – topped off with an appearance by the Jolly Old Elf himself – they can also buy unique holiday presents at the Holiday Magic Marketplace from 4-8 p.m. In the meantime, you don't have to wait for Santa Claus to pull the switch to brighten your night. A walk around downtown reveals several restaurants and shops are sporting a holiday glow. Did we miss your favorite holiday light display? Upload a photo!
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Royal Oak Patch readers are positively glowing about this year's downtown holiday lights.
If Royal Oak Patch’s Facebook is any indication, residents seem to be turned on by this year’s downtown holiday light display. In the past, Royal Oak's holiday light display left some residents and city leaders seeing red — and not in a good way. “It has just been one disappointment after another,” said Bill Harrison, of the Downtown Development Authority (DDA), at a city commission meeting last November. Royal Oak’s lackluster history included tree trunks not wrapped correctly, canopies of lights not of the correct density and too many strands that did not work. This year residents seem to think the DDA, which installs the lights, got it right. Here’s what people are saying about photos of the downtown holiday lights on Facebook:
Monday, January 30, 2012
After a couple of years of disappointing lighting displays, the Downtown Development Authority is considering new ideas for putting holiday shoppers in the mood in downtown Royal Oak.
In mid-February, workers will begin removing the holiday lights in downtown Royal Oak, according to Tim Thwing, planning director and executive director for the Downtown Development Authority (DDA). In the meantime, the DDA is looking at decoration plans for the 2012-13 holiday season and hoping the future is brighter. For the past few years, Royal Oak's holiday light display has left many city officials seeing red. “It has just been one disappointment after another,” said William Harrison, vice chairperson of the DDA, at a City Commission meeting in November. The history of letdowns and expenditures includes: The DDA will have in-depth discussions of holiday lights as part of its 2012 strategic planning sessions, which began Jan. 18 and …
42.488146
-83.142775
City of Royal Oak City Hall
221 E 3rd St, Royal Oak, MI
/articles/poll-should-the-dda-come-up-with-a-new
709775
/locations/6273421
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
A retailer is upset with the decision to put strands of holiday lights on trees in downtown Royal Oak. What do you think?
On Tuesday, workers began putting up strands of lights on trees on Main Street, but one storeowner was not feeling the holiday spirit. Dan Davis, owner of Funky 7, called the lights a “big waste of money.” Davis was upset that workers took up parking spaces in front of his store for hours and complained about the cost of the twinkling lights. The Downtown Development Authority (DDA) approved the lights in April, agreeing to pay Winterland $9,091.27 to do the job. What do you think? Are holiday lights are worth the investment?
42.48678
-83.14418
Funky 7
411 S Main St, Royal Oak, MI
/articles/downtown-holiday-lights-bright-idea-or-waste-of-money
1704362
/locations/5670680
Susan
4:41 pm on Sunday, January 20, 2013
Shame on you for not opting out of smart meters. Hope there are no children near by. more ›