Starry Lights illuminate downtown Westerly-Pawcatuck
Dec. 10—WESTERLY — With a countdown just after sunset Friday, the lights began to turn on for installations all over Wilcox Park ― the two-seat swing next to the gazebo, a 15-foot-tall tunnel of stars, 18 stars floating on pontoon boats on the pond, 14 shooting stars in the trees that each memorialize someone who passed.
This is a fraction of the displays in Wilcox Park, and then there are the installations across the Pawcatuck River in Donahue Park, plus stars in restaurants and shops around downtown.
With a live WBLQ radio broadcast from both parks, Friday marked the start of Starry Lights. It's the work of the Ocean Community Chamber of Commerce and President Lisa Konicki, who is also the architect of the Lobster Trap Tree in Stonington. Starry Lights will be up until Dec. 30, and Konicki said it's "to be determined" what happens with the installations after.
As the lights turned on Friday, visitors scattered to the various installations. After 10-year-group Cameron Miller finished taking a picture on the swing with her mother, Kathleen Miller, she skipped over to the line for the tunnel.
Kathleen said the song "Swinging on a Star" popped into her head, which is indeed the swing's inspiration. In true Konicki fashion, the idea came to her when she woke up in the middle of the night, this time with the standard stuck in her head.
Cameron made a star for the Wall of Wishes at the Stonington Community Center over the summer and at Deans Mill School in Stonington. Kathleen Miller is a teacher at Stonington Middle School, where students also made stars.
Each of the 1,300 stars is painted on one side with a wish on the other. Westerly elementary students made the stars in Wilcox Park, while Stonington kids created the stars hanging on the railing over the river in Donahue Park.
They're a mix of sentiments: "I wish for glittery rainbows." "I wish that Kobe didn't die." "I wish that the virus would stop so that people and us won't have to wear masks anymore."
Down the path from the Wall of Wishes in Wilcox Park is Star Island, a floating installation made by Chester artist Christopher Owens. Across from the pond, one bench sits under a canopy of twinkling stars by Westerly artist Nico DiMaggio.
The chamber and about 30 volunteers had been working on the setup since Saturday, when it was raining for hours. The organization is also contracting with Ritacco Electric and SNS Electric.
The project cost has grown from $95,000 to about $118,000, Konicki said, some of which is due to repairs that will be necessary to the grass in Wilcox Park. Financial supporters include Professional Planning Group, Rhode Island Commerce, South County Tourism Council, the Town of Westerly, and Valenti Family of Dealerships and Valenti Subaru. The chamber is also accepting donations from the public.
From napkin design to nighttime marvel
Konicki previously told The Day that after seeing the 300 wooden stars Owens made that were mounted on homes and businesses in Chester, she met with him and said, "I want to rip off your idea and put a little Konicki magic on it and make it 10 times bigger than what you're doing."
She recalled Friday that their first meeting was in February at a delicatessen in Chester, and he drew a sketch on a napkin. That turned into the first piece the chamber commissioned: a 40-foot-long tunnel of 40 stars in the middle of Wilcox Park, costing $12,600. From there, Owens made Star Island in the pond and later Star Box in Donahue Park, in which people can sit on benches.
Nico DiMaggio of Westerly welded the tree in Donahue Park that's more than 15 feet tall and hand-forged the star on top. He also welded star frames that Konicki delivered to artists who decorated them with knit and crocheted designs.
Konicki said the chamber paid for the materials but DiMaggio donated his time.
"It's a joyful thing. Making people happy or smile, it's my thing," DiMaggio said just before the opening ceremony started, sporting a hat embellished with a star. Plus, his doctor told him to keep busy.
His daughter is Maria DiMaggio, membership and operations director for the chamber, and she teared up talking about her father's work: "I can tell you this project has been a labor of love for him and the entire community," she said.
There are a few imported structures in Wilcox Park, such as a 14-foot-tall ornament with stars, but Starry Lights mostly features the works of Connecticut and Rhode Island artists. Konicki said some of the artists donated their time while others were commissioned.
Westerly artist Pamela Husereau made a crocheted star. Alana Almonte of Cranston made a driftwood star with seashells in the middle. Avalonia Land Conservancy created an elaborate greenery display for a star. Linda Lavallee Mossberg of Lisbon made a star with more than 200 crystal beads.
Konicki said it was an experience that pushed the artists outside their comfort zone, and she marveled at the way everyone gave different interpretations to the same theme.
Editor's note: This version corrects the end date of Starry Lights and the name of an electric company.
