Peleskys own 'Bragging rights for Christmas lights' in Chinook
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Teri Pelesky poses in her yard packed with decorations on Missouri Street. She's standing by a yard ornament made by her mother. Teri still uses many of the original wooden ornaments her mother made while living in Billings.
Reporter's note: The Chinook Area Chamber holds an informal competition each year to select the best Christmas yard light display. In an email to the "Journal," Chamber President Heather DePriest listed the three top displays and noted, "The competition has no prizes, just bragging rights." And she thanked all the local residents who put up some fantastic decorations this year, that help make the season just a little more festive.
First place went to Ken and Teri Pelesky, whose house is on the 500 block of Missouri, second place was awarded to Chuck and Kathie Mereness, at the corner of East Ninth Street and Ohio and third place was Mike and Heather Nesslar's blue light display in the 700 block of Illinois.
I decided to talk to Ken and Teri Pelesky, the folks who earned this year's bragging rights. What I found was that there was more to the story than just a beautiful and fun yard display, there was a family legacy of holiday yard lights that goes back to Teri's mother who started the tradition in Billings.
A legacy of yard lights
Teri Pelesky, and husband Ken, live on Missouri Street, just a block north of Meadowlark Elementary in Chinook. Teri explained, "We've been in Chinook for five years and have decorated our yard each year. But we did yard lights in Billings before moving here. My mom loved to decorate her yard for the holidays and I got my interest from helping her with her displays. Now my grandkids help me set up the lights here in Chinook. I'm hopeful some of the grandkids will keep the tradition going."
On Christmas Eve, from 4-7 p.m., Ken Pelesky dons a Santa outfit and greets families as they stop to admire the yard display. Each visiting child gets a generous "Ho, Ho, Ho" from Santa and a candy cane. The full effect of the yard display can best be enjoyed by walking around the yard. There's music playing, all sorts of old and new lighted ornaments and displays and a general feeling of a holiday festival. Even the front of the house is wrapped in Christmas gift paper. It takes a while to take in the whole scene.
Arriving at the Pelesky's house, I was soon greeted by Santa. Teri, her daughter Kathy and Kathy's husband and children came out of the house. Teri introduced each of the family members and said, "These are my helpers that make the display possible. I couldn't do it without them." All the helpers beamed as they gazed around the elaborate lighted scene.
Teri walked over to a wood, painted display of Santa and elves putting gifts under a Christmas tree. Posing for a photo at the display, she said, "This was one of the displays my mom made in Billings. My mom was a great seamstress and eventually got interested in woodworking. That's when she began making wooden ornaments for the yard. She gave me and my siblings some of her wooden pieces and I always put some in the yard." Teri pointed to another display, by the house, and described how she and her own grandchildren had made a piece, in the tradition that her mother began.
The current display
Teri said she always tries to add something new to the yard each Christmas. She laughed and added, "I'm running out of room for much new stuff." She explained it takes about two weeks to get everything placed and working. The Peleskys try to have the display up by Thanksgiving, but the exact timing, per husband Ken, is, "Weather-dependent. This year the weather made us a little late in getting everything up."
About their yard location near the elementary school, Pelesky said, "I have a lot of parents tell me their kids check the "Christmas countdown clock" on their way home from school." The clock shows a running digital display of the days, hours, minutes and seconds left until Christmas. At the time Christmas arrives, the sign posts "ho, ho, ho." The sign used to be on the house, but Ken explained the holding bracket broke so he had to hang the clock on the front of the house. Either place, it's an easy way for kids to track the countdown to Santa's arrival.
Three years ago the Pelesky's added music to the display. Teri said, "About 9 p.m. I turn the music down. We have some elderly neighbors who go to bed early and the sheriff lives next door." She added, "We don't want any problems because of the music."
Chuck and Kathie Mereness live on a corner lot at Ninth Street East and Ohio. Their yard lights stretch around their house and can be enjoyed from both streets. Their display won second place in the Chamber's 'little Christmas Decorating contest.'
The display will stay up until sometime in mid-January. "Again," Ken explained, "It's weather dependent when the display gets packed away."
Speaking of packing away, asked about where she keeps the yard art, Teri said, "Well, I've pretty well taken over the shed for storage." She does yard displays for Halloween and Easter as well and also has items she stores for those holidays carefully packed in the shed. She figures the Christmas yard display adds about $200 to the family's annual electric bill, a small price for the fun she and the viewers get from the display.
Teri and Ken Pelesky seem committed to continuing their tradition of decorating the yard for selected holidays. And if things go as planned, there's a third generation being trained to continue the legacy.
The "Journal" salutes all those who put up lights for the holiday, and congratulates the Pelesky's for their award this year. Teri, Ken and their family can enjoy well deserved "bragging rights for lights" this year in Chinook.
