Lights out - Cities' budgets cut holiday lights

TRENTON, N.J. -- Joe Pisapia fondly remembers the decade-old community tradition of kicking off the holiday season on the Friday after Thanksgiving with a round of festivities.

But this year, Pisapia put up a sign: "Tree and Menorah Lighting Ceremony Canceled This Year Due to Lack of Community Support."

Clark is just one of a number of communities nationwide going without holiday decorations this year because municipalities can't afford them and donations are down.

For example, the city council in Mesa, Ariz., this year eliminated the nearly $150,000 expense of buying and hanging some 500,000 lights in the trees along a mile-long stretch of Main Street.

New benefactors have stepped forward to take up the slack in some communities.

After Arlington, Texas, cut funds for its official tree-lighting ceremony, the local Fielder House Museum moved its annual tree lighting event to the night when the city's celebration used to be held.

And in Livonia, Mich., the cable company Bright House Networks is restoring lighting to the city hall section of the municipal complex this year. The company pledged up to $25,000, about one-third of what was deleted from the municipal budget.

Other efforts to keep the bulbs glowing are more grass roots.

After the Green Bay, Wis., suburb of Ashwaubenon couldn't afford to replace fading holiday lights last winter, a "Light up for the Holidays" committee kicked off a campaign to raise $8,000 to light part of the community this year.

Organizers got a donation from the Green Bay Packers, but most of the funds came from individuals who chipped in $75 to $100 a piece, said Judy Schroeder, who chaired the committee.

In Clark, Pisapia hopes a year without lights will rally his community to make similar donations for next season.

"We've been hearing from the people who are a little upset that it's not taking place this year and didn't realize that their help would have been appreciated," he said.