December 7, 2011 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 21 Holiday tradition Scenes from this year’s holiday display. (continued from page 16) lot at the corner of Godwin Avenue and Witte Drive, now Jacobsen Landscape and Design’s office.) When the Loven family saw that the figures had found a permanent home in Midland Park, they gave the firefighters the rest of the pieces, which they had originally decided to keep for themselves. The firemen added a manger scene and a wishing well and installed lighting and piped in holiday music. When the Schneiders moved from town in 1974, interest in maintaining the display waned and the firemen considered selling it. Enter the Midland Park Chamber of Commerce and its then president, Patrick “Bud” O’Hagan, who decided to coordinate a restoration effort as a community project and donate the display to the town. The Chamber, the Lions Club, the Senior Group, Inc. and the American Legion provided funds and manpower, and residents were asked to adopt a figure and restore it. The display went up again for the 1980 season, and has been in place ever since, with O’Hagan, now the mayor-elect, still coordinating the project and the Cub Scouts erecting and dismantling it every year. The Queen of Hearts, Snow White, Alice in Wonderland, the Three Little Pigs have found a loving home in Midland Park. O’Hagan points out that each scene is framed by the trees behind it, with Alice in Wonderland closest to Paterson Avenue and Peter Pan at the end nearest to Jacobsen’s property. “Each year, the pieces get arranged by the Cub Scouts and their parents in a random order within a theme,” O’Hagan said.”Some years, the decorations are spread out and the effect seems to get lost. This year…the display looks terrific. I ordered more light bulbs and spot light holders.” He added, “This year marks Janet and my 34th year and we are looking to hand off the responsibilities to someone else. We’ll still help as much as we can, but it is now getting to be harder work on us. Perhaps that someone can enhance the display and make it even better and bigger. I always envisioned it to be a community endeavor. The Cub Scouts are the work force for the set up, the Boy Scouts hang the kissing balls throughout the town on the same day while the Girl Scouts attend to the ribbons and bows. Now we need painters and wood workers to repair the characters as well as to add new ones. “The joy and memories I’ve collected over the years makes the whole project more than worthwhile. A compliment from a youngster or a parent who grew up with the display and now attending with his son to share in the Christmas spirit can’t be measured in dollars. Writers would have a hard time expressing the good feelings in a short story compared to listening and watching children and adults get excited in seeing a favorite character. Who needs the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade? I’ve got the Midland Park Christmas Display!” This article includes information from “Midland Park: The First Century of An American Community.