City Says Aspen Christmas Lights Killing the Earth

[ElfBot]

Holiday lights in Aspen and Pitkin County should have been off by March 30.But not everyone is following the rules — and there are plenty of loopholes — according to city and county officials.Carrington Brown, Pitkin County code enforcement officer, receives regular calls about Christmas lights still burning bright in places like Red Mountain. And [...]

More from Defend Christmas... (http://defendchristmas.com/2008/05/10/city-says-aspen-christmas-lights-killing-the-earth/)

[Greg Young]

Holiday lights in Aspen and Pitkin County should have been off by March 30.But not everyone is following the rules — and there are plenty of loopholes — according to city and county officials.Carrington Brown, Pitkin County code enforcement officer, receives regular calls about Christmas lights still burning bright in places like Red Mountain. And [...]

More from Defend Christmas... (http://defendchristmas.com/2008/05/10/city-says-aspen-christmas-lights-killing-the-earth/)

Most of us who have significant outdoor holiday lighting displays are switching over to LEDs, a little bit at a time.
That will help in energy conservation, as well as operational costs (once of course the higher costs of these lights are recouped).
Greg

[Jeff Westover]

Yeah, but what good are the LEDs if you have them on all year? That's what cracks me up about this story from Aspen. RESIDENTS have to get their lights down within two days of the holiday. BUSINESSES have until March 30th. Businesses are always going to consume more than a typical residence so what is the real motivation behind the dumb rules?

[dvdguy]

its stupid, they just have the rule in place because its what they want. Its not for environmental reasons.

[Greg Young]

Yeah, but what good are the LEDs if you have them on all year? That's what cracks me up about this story from Aspen. RESIDENTS have to get their lights down within two days of the holiday. BUSINESSES have until March 30th. Businesses are always going to consume more than a typical residence so what is the real motivation behind the dumb rules?

I would not have them on all year. That would take away from the seasonality of the display.
That being said, I do use them for Christmas and the 4th of July, using different displays for the 4th of course!
The motivation behind these rules, whatever it truly is, is irrelevant as I see it, because the actual practice is certainly discriminatory in its implementation! I hope they contest this!

[MissKringle]

I'm not just talking about this particular area
but I'm just saying in general, why are they picking on christmas and not vegas?

[gameshowguy2000]

I think Christmas lights should be up YEAR ROUND. These businesses and neighborhoods really need to stop fining people who don't take down their Christmas decorations. If they don't wanna take them down, they don't have to.

Heck, in my neighborhood, way across from my house, I got a neighbor who's got a star on his chimney YEAR-ROUND. He doesn't turn it on until the holiday season.

[Greg Young]

I think Christmas lights should be up YEAR ROUND. These businesses and neighborhoods really need to stop fining people who don't take down their Christmas decorations. If they don't wanna take them down, they don't have to.

Heck, in my neighborhood, way across from my house, I got a neighbor who's got a star on his chimney YEAR-ROUND. He doesn't turn it on until the holiday season.

Lucky he doesn't live in a HOA area (home owners' association). Many of them have strict rules when the lights (even if not lit) have to be taken down.
I am not sure why the attacks on Christmas and holiday lighting displays, etc. that we are seeing these days
I am not sure what has changed in recent years, except maybe folks have less tolerance for individual differences/opinions these days.
And I though the USA was founded on the pursuit religious freedom. Where did that tenet ever go???
Greg

[Annette1990]

I agree with you Greg...they should not get a fine. It's not hurting anything at all as far as I am concerned. Even like gameshowguy said his neighbor has a star up...that is his choice. I drove down an alley here awhile back and I noticed these people had a sleigh with garland around it still in their back yard. I could not imagine someone stopping at their home and issuing them a ticket.

[Storeytime]

Lucky he doesn't live in a HOA area (home owners' association). Many of them have strict rules when the lights (even if not lit) have to be taken down.
I am not sure why the attacks on Christmas and holiday lighting displays, etc. that we are seeing these days
I am not sure what has changed in recent years, except maybe folks have less tolerance for individual differences/opinions these days.
And I though the USA was founded on the pursuit religious freedom. Where did that tenet ever go???
Greg

That's why I'll never live where there is a HOA. I hear all my Christmas Light junkie friends talking about how they have to turn their lights off at certain times, have them down by certain times. No thank you. I pay for my house. I pay for the electricity. I'm considerate of the neighbors, but nobody's going to tell me when and for how long I can turn my lights on. I always burn mine till at least the day of Epiphany, sometimes a little longer. The way I see it is that it takes a lot of work to get them all up and I'm going to enjoy them for as long as I can.

[gameshowguy2000]

Lucky he doesn't live in a HOA area (home owners' association). Many of them have strict rules when the lights (even if not lit) have to be taken down.
I am not sure why the attacks on Christmas and holiday lighting displays, etc. that we are seeing these days
I am not sure what has changed in recent years, except maybe folks have less tolerance for individual differences/opinions these days.
And I though the USA was founded on the pursuit religious freedom. Where did that tenet ever go???
Greg

HOA's have rules concerning when to put up the decorations and when to take them down? Never really thought about that. Some of the neighborhoods I travel by, some houses still have Christmas lights up.

[cipalla]

Christmas lights all year round!!! woohoo! HOA--controlling, controlling, controlling:-?

[Greg Young]

HOA's have rules concerning when to put up the decorations and when to take them down? Never really thought about that. Some of the neighborhoods I travel by, some houses still have Christmas lights up.

Some of the more elaborate display owners who live in HOA controlled developments learned early on to take an active role on their HOA board. They have been able to avoid having holiday lighting restrictions be placed in their communities, by doing so.
After all, it's much harder to pass rules regulating people you interact with frequently....