By ANNA BROWN

Staff Writer

At the home of Clyde and Sandra Seymore on 917 Lovers Lane Road, a sign welcomes you and invites you to take a drive through their Christmas light display.

Seymore will be there handing out candy for the children among the lights, Christmas trees, inflatables and manger scenes.

“I just enjoy doing it,” Seymore said of his work, which takes many hours of assembly and many hours of dismantling and storage. He thanked those who helped him - his brother and sister-in-law, Billy and Pat Seymore, along with Roger and Pat Newman and Kathy and Buck Broome

The Seymores were third place winners this year in the Creative Category of the Union County Recreation Department's 2008 Christmas Lighting Contest.

Second place went to Pete and Jean Belue on 725 Mt. Tabor Church Road. First place winner is Paul and Norma Burgess on 165 Woodside Drive, Lockhart.

The Creative category is for those whose lights are more appealing to children. At the Seymores, there are many inflatables, including several that are new this year - Santa and his sleigh, penguins and a Santa Christmas float. Seymore, who won first place last year, said he also added several new lighted trees this year.

The Burgesses have been a winner in the Christmas lights contest several times.

Mrs. Burgess said this year her husband built a large wooden sleigh and reindeer and added new inflatables

Burgess, who works at Milliken & Co.'s Gillespie Plant, built many of the lighted displays in the yard, including the sign that tells the family's name.

This also is the first year the Belues have entered the contest though they have been decorating their yard for Christmas since 1982.

For many years, the couple had “Happy Birthday Jesus” in a light display on top of their brick home. The display now is in the yard near another light display featuring the names of all their grandchildren- Dylan, Brittany, Tyler, Cody and Faith. The Belues have two sons, Joel and Steven.

They remember why the “Happy Birthday Jesus” sign was created.

“Pete was building a manger scene for a church float,” Mrs. Belue said. “Joel asked why Jesus didn't have a birthday. Since then, different people have called us and said, ‘Do you mind if we make a happy birthday sign?”

Next to the house Belue, a retired electro mechanic with Sonoco, has used PVC pipe to create a display of 38 trees lighted in different colors.

“I call it my lighted forest,” he said.

In the Elegant category, Lori and Tracy Sanders and their children, Courtney and Lee of 3308 Mt. Lebanon Road, Buffalo, won first place. They have been award winners for several years. A choir of angels is new this year among the decorations.

“We love Christmas and we just enjoy decorating,” Mrs. Sanders said. “I think people have come to expect us to decorate.”

Second place winners are Russ and Rhonda Sanders and their son, Codey, of 193 Bailey Road, Buffalo.

The Sanders have deer, Christmas trees, Santa and his reindeer on a seesaw, snowflakes, a manger scene, a lighted mailbox, lighted angels, icicle lights and candy canes.

This is the first time the Sanders have been winners in the contest.

“We just enjoy putting decorations up and having something nice that looks nice,” Sanders said.

Billy and Ginnie Ponder of 405 West South St., Union, won third place. This was the first year the Ponders entered the contest.

Mrs. Ponder said the family did a lot of work decorating in 2007 and decided to let it be judged this year. The Ponders have two children, Garrett, 2 and Melle, three months.

“I told the children that the lights were how Santa would find us,” Mrs. Ponder said with a laugh.

Mrs. Ponder said she is most proud of the lighted Christmas balls on her dogwood tree.

Others who also entered the Creative division of the contest were Francis Knox of 119 North Third St., Lockhart; Sandy Wade of 233 Munro St., Union; Kenny and Debbie Lominack of 1202 Pineland Road, Union; Elaine Floyd of 108 Haile St., Jonesville; Tim Seymore of 765 Bobby Faucette Road, Jonesville; Mary Austin of 151 Ben Black Road, Union; Mary Noland of 841 Sardis Road, Union; Tiffany Boone of 839 Sardis Road, Union; Wanda Garner of 237 Munro St., Union; Gwinn Price of 101 Candler Drive, Union.

Others who entered the Elegant category were Melinda Wilburn of 434 East Main St., Union; and Dolly Pittman of 216 Sweetwater Drive, Union.