Ralphs win OMU's lighting contest
Dec. 17—David Ralph, director of technology for Owensboro Catholic Schools, has been lighting up his Redford Drive home for Christmas for at least 10 years.
The displays have grown more elaborate over the years, and Ralph has been able to bring his technical expertise into the displays.
"I set up a sound board and got some fairly popular Christmas tunes and synchronized the lights to the tunes," he said.
When the music plays, the lights blink and dance to the beat, he said.
The home at 2706 Redford Drive — and the yard and bushes — are covered with displays of Christmas trees, snowmen, a nativity scene and glowing reindeer Christmas stars. The flagpole has been turned into a giant tree of lights. Icicle lights hang from the rooftop.
How many lights are on the home?
"I haven't any clue," Ralph said. "It's tens of thousands. I know it takes about 60 hours to put up."
Ralph's work was rewarded when Owensboro Municipal Utilities and the city's Neighborhood Alliances selected the home as the winner of this year's Holiday Lighting Contest. David and Carol Ralph received a $250 OMU gift certificate and will also receive a $100 gift certificate from Famous Bistro.
The contest is open to OMU customers. This year, 14 homeowners qualified to participate.
Sonya Dixon, OMU's communications and public relations manager, said a panel of judges from both OMU and the Neighborhood Alliances evaluate each entry and then makes a decision. The judges look for creativity, the use of holiday lights and overall presentation.
Dixon said judges were impressed with Ralph's dancing lights.
"A lot of it was coordinated with music," she said. "He put his IT skills to use."
Ralph said the lights are on 64 channels that cause them to blink in time to the music.
"It has gotten bigger every year," he said.
Ralph doesn't normally keep up with how many people drive by to see his light displays, he said, but he will be watching Saturday night, Dec. 17, because Santa Claus is expected at the house between 5 and 7 p.m.
He said he recently had hip surgery, so the whole family helped put up this year's display.
"This has become a family affair," Ralph said. "My kids, who are adults, came and helped me put it up."
