By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
While the holiday focus is currently on organizing costumes and making sure you have enough candy, staff with the Great Bend Public Lands Department is getting ready to have a bright Christmas. Preparation for displaying the Christmas light decorations around town will begin near Halloween, to give city staff enough time to have them ready for the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
Public Lands Director Scott Keeler said it takes his staff between three to four weeks to make repairs to light fixtures, display the holiday decorations and add any new pieces. Turning Great Bend into a “Christmas city” has taken on much more responsibility compared to when Keeler first started working for the city.
"I remember we had some old decorations up and down Main Street, and a few lights around the courthouse," said Keeler. "It used to be flood lights that we would put by the pillars. We pretty much relied on Christmas Fantasy Village down south. There really wasn't too much and it took about a week to put up."
A massive amount of lights and displays are now featured at Veterans Memorial Park, Barton County Courthouse and Brit Spaugh Park.
The new .15% quality of life sales tax this year has allocated funds to Christmas light decorations to make repairs and bring in additions. Keeler said there will be more motion displays this year.
"As far as lighting in different areas, are hands are tied a little bit," said Keeler. "At the present time, we only have so much electricity and availability in the area. We have to stay near to those points because we have to have power to run them."
The lights will go on the Saturday after Thanksgiving to coincide with the Home for the Holidays Festival and Parade.