{"id":52213,"date":"2017-11-28T01:15:31","date_gmt":"2017-11-28T01:15:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thefastfashion.com\/?p=52213"},"modified":"2017-11-28T01:15:31","modified_gmt":"2017-11-28T01:15:31","slug":"town-arms-300000-light-holiday-display","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thefastfashion.com\/?p=52213","title":{"rendered":"Town up in arms over 300,000-light holiday display"},"content":{"rendered":"

The holiday spirit is taking a beating in one Connecticut town \u2014 where neighbors are saying bah, humbug to a dazzling display of Christmas lights that draws thousands of gawkers and raises cash for sick kids.<\/p>\n

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But the display, which features more than 300,000 lights, a model train and scores of holiday figures, also creates a traffic nightmare for some neighbors, who\u2019ve launched a petition drive to shut it down or place restrictions on the display, the Connecticut Post reported.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not happy about it,\u201d said Gene Halliwell, whose \u201cWonderland on Roseville\u201d Terrace in Fairfield has become a beloved tradition over the past 18 years.<\/p>\n

Halliwell and his wife, Mary, charge admission to tour the house and yard, and, they say, make a \u201csignificant\u201d annual donation to the Shriners Hospital for Children in Springfield, Mass.<\/p>\n

He also said shutting down the display would hurt local businesses because many families who come to enjoy the lights also dine out at one of the many eateries along nearby Black Rock Turnpike, a busy commercial strip.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere will be businesses losing out,\u201d he told the paper. \u201cPeople come here and have dinner and then go see the lights.\u201d<\/p>\n

But neighbors said the display \u2014 which opens on Thanksgiving and stays open nightly until 11 p.m. before shutting down on New Year\u2019s Day \u2014 creates chaos and a traffic nightmare in the residential neighborhood of single-family homes on relatively small lots.<\/p>\n

Neighbor Nadine Losquadro submitted a petition with 45 signatures to the first selectman\u2019s office and is working with the police department to figure out a way to control the traffic, which she said poses a danger to kids and elderly residents who live nearby.<\/p>\n

Neighbors, she told the paper, \u201cappreciate the entertainment to the community and the charity that the Wonderland at Roseville brings. However, our concern is the event\u2019s traffic and parking situation which presents a significant public safety concern for our neighborhood.\u201d<\/p>\n

Losquadro said a possible compromise could place a \u201cno event parking\u201d restriction on Roseville Terrace and nearby Sawyer Road that would allow residents who live on those streets to still park there, but require visitors to park in any of the large lots on the commercial strip nearby and schlep over to the display with the help of a crossing guard.<\/p>\n

But town cops threw cold water on the parking plan, and Maryann Halliwell, Gene\u2019s daughter, wasn\u2019t optimistic that a compromise could be reached.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re trying to figure out what to do. It\u2019s probably our last year, it\u2019s a real shame,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Adv<\/em>.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n