The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1930-12-18
SIMPLICITY IS URGED In
TOWN LIGHTING CONTEST
Smallest Home Can Compete
With Largest Mansion for Hon.
Ors In Rotary Contest
SUGGESTIONS ARE LISTED

Simplicity, above all else, is urged
for outdoor lighted Christmas decora-
lions in Oakland this year. Homes
entered in the Rotary Club Christmas
lighting and decorating contest will
be judged from every angle, but gaudy
display of lighted decorations will not
be point for the judges considera-
ton. The Oakland contest is being
conducted to interest every resident in
making Christmas brighter and hap
pier season. Points on which decora-
lions will be judged are originality
simplicity, effectiveness, utilization of
possibilities, novelty and general APP
pearance.
The smallest home on this basis can
compete with the largest mansion in
the city, because the humber homes
suit themselves as well to the Yule
decorations and lighting as the larger
ones. If every possibility for light
ing and decorating is utilized, if novel
ty is shown in choice and design of
the decorations, if they show original
ity of thought and execution, if they
carry the message of Christmas cheer
and goodwill, they are certain to be
in the prize competition, a Rotary
member stated
Home decorators will find many
possibilities for lighted decorations.
Strings of colored Christmas lights
are the simplest of all decorations and
adapt themselves wonderfully to al
most every situation. They can be
festooned around the caves, porch
columns or pillars, owe rwindows or
doors on the porch or house, through
shrubbery and hedges, over lattice
work or rose trellises. Some yards
have small evergreen trees growing
the year round and they are among
the favored outdoor lighting decora-
lions.
Any natural shrubbery adapts it.
self we'll to Christmas lighting deco
rations. The small lights can be
strung through hedges or in clumps
of shrubbery, and the shrubbery and
hedges can be floodlighted cheaply by
using shiny dishpans or other cheap
refectors. This lighting and decorat-
ing idea can be used too for the porch
or house, and makes wonderful eff
feet when the white light reveals
laurel or other Christmas greens tied
with red or other colored ribbon OF
berries.
The ordinary ceiling light on the
porch can be made to reflect the spir-
it of Christmas by replacing the usual
light with three-way colored light
socket and draping it with evergreen,
ribbon or colored paper. Side lamps
on many porches are made beautiful
by use of soft colored lamps and
many homes have reflected cheer thru
holly wreaths placed around the fix
ture. The porch boxes can be made
beautiful with colored lights shining
among greenery, or by flood-lighting
from the inside. Many unique light
ing and decorating designs can be
worked out on vine trellis on the
porch or in the yard.
Windows can be made to have that
"Christmasy" look by affixing real or
artificial holly wreaths to the middle
sill, inside, and lighting the wreath.
Sprigs of holly or mistletoe pinned to
the curtain add to the scene.
Hundreds of beautiful and interest
ing decorations were observed last
Christmas on Oakland homes, each
one adapting itself to the POSSIBLE
ties of the individual home. Great
success was achieved by several of
the homes last year by display of
solid color trees. Instead of deco