By Dennis Shaughnessey, dshaughnessey@lowellsun.com
LOWELL -- In downtown Lowell, where the annual City of Lights Parade and Holiday Art Stroll took place last Saturday, some residents and business owners are asking, "Where are the lights?"
"It's certainly not as bright and festive as it has been in the past," said Linda Williams, owner of the Welles Emporium at 175 Merrimack St. "Where is the City of Lights? I'm a little disappointed. Maybe more than a little. I expected there to be at least as many decorations as last year. Except for the storefronts, there is very little by way of decorations. It just doesn't spell holiday season."
Gone are the lighted wreaths that adorned the streetlamps. Gone are the large garlands and boughs that draped over the street. Even many of the trees that line the sidewalks are unlit. In their place are several "net lights," which stretch overhead and bear a holiday motif.
City Manager Bernie Lynch said that about $40,000 was spent on holiday decorations this year, more than is spent in most communities, he said.
"But like all aspects of city government, we had to cut back somewhat," Lynch said, adding that the city is in the process of replacing most of the lights and other decorations that have deteriorated over the years. "The lights on the trees were in disrepair and the swags that hung over the street were very old and falling apart."
A fundraising initiative, which raised about $39,000, was launched in August by The Lowell Plan, the Downtown Lowell Business Association and the Greater Lowell Chamber of Commerce. Chamber President and CEO Jeanne Osborn said she thought the money would pay for some new lights that would be installed this year. But the lights that were removed were not replaced.
"The thinking was that we wanted to refresh the look of the downtown, but I think our understanding was that it would be done little by little," Osborn said. "A mixture of the old and new. But it seems that the old lights were taken down, and only three of those net lights were put up. We are trying to showcase the city. We want people to come into the downtown and do their holiday shopping. We want it to be inviting."
Lynch said public funds have been identified that can be used to put LED lights in the trees, in addition to hanging wreaths, within the next few days. The Department of Public Works will also replace streetlights with energy-efficient bulbs that will be brighter and save money in the long run, he said.
"We've heard from a number of people who were disappointed and now that we've given it a second look, we've made a decision to kick it up a little bit more," Lynch said. "That should help, not only for the holiday season, but for the entire year."
The cost of the wreaths alone is nearly $10,000. While some have remarked that new lights have been installed on Middle and Palmer streets, Lynch said no net lights have been installed on those streets and they looked bare.
"They didn't have much at all by way of decorations, so we decided to put some new lights there and put the net lights on Merrimack and Central streets," Lynch said. "We're working with limited resources and we're trying to get the maximum impact for our efforts."
Like many downtown business owners, Liliana Kualapai of Downtown Dancewear is of two minds.
"The new (net lights) look beautiful, but I wish there were a few more of them," said Kualapai, whose shop at 120 Merrimack St. is brightly festooned inside and out. "A lot of owners are putting a little more effort into decorating their storefront windows. Some of them are really beautiful. It helps make up for the lack of decorations coming from the city."
Kualapai said if the city's budget is tight and it comes down to decorating for the holidays or saving someone's job, the decision is obvious.
City Councilor-elect Franky Descoteaux owns three downtown businesses on Merrimack Street with her husband, Matt. She said she understands that holiday decorations cost the city money.
"It's expensive. I get it. But we definitely need lights on the trees, even if from a public-safety standpoint," said Descoteaux, who will be sworn in in January. "The street is actually dark. I don't think the new net lights are doing the trick. Nothing against them, but they're just not the same. Not having the lights in the trees changes the whole feel of the downtown."
"I think it falls to the store owners to do their part," said Colleen Ferry, who owns Chantilly Place, a formal gown store. "We do our own windows, hoping that it will draw attention to our business. If every store was decorated, I don't think anybody would realize that there are less city lights."
This story appeared in the Lowell Sun on Thursday, December 3, 2009