In the Bicentennial year for Licking County, a tradition has continued with the 60th annual holiday lighting of the historic courthouse. Several thousand residents, and visitors from far and wide, packed the downtown Newark Square Friday evening (November 28th) for the grand event.
The holiday music program featured well known local performers (singers) Hugh Price and Amy Fraley, and Peter Larson on the keyboards. Three community groups add to the festivities with holiday selections. The Granville High School Ace Chorus led by Paul Jackson, Girl Scouts from several troops that comprise the Lakewood Service Unit #670 directed by Sarah Letki, and the Blessed Sacrament Chorus led by Tammy Witham. The master of ceremonies was Newark 's own Dave Lehman.
Recognized on stage were Licking County Commissioner Tim Bubb and Newark Mayor Bob Diebold. Both officials welcomed the crowd and wished everyone a Merry Christmas!
Newark City Councilman Ryan Bubb was on hand to announce the winners in the Downtown Newark Association's (DNA) 'Holiday Window Decorating Contest'. The winning entry for 2008 was the window of Forever Flowers on West Church Street. The second place winner was Park Place Coffee Roasters, and tied for third place were H.L. Art Jewelers and Goumas Candyland (all on North Park Place on the Square). Councilman Bubb invited residents to enjoy the some 25-decorated windows around the downtown, while also enjoying the Courthouse decorations.
Courtesy of the DNA Santa was on hand to visit individually with the children in The Arcade after the courthouse lighting festivities. The Licking County Courthouse will be lighted each evening through the first day of 2009, and holiday music on the Square will be featured during the days and evenings up to Christmas day.
A special thanks to all the local media for their coverage and support, and a special salute to WCLT radio for continuing their long tradition of support. Their considerable coverage culminated with a live Friday (Nov 28) 'Curtis and Olivia' morning show broadcast from Twi-Light Coffee in downtown Newark. The show featured a number of Courthouse Lighting related guests. In addition WCLT's Big Thunder broadcast live from the annual Friday evening lighting ceremony.
Newark Advocate reporter Abbey Roy was on hand and filed this newpaper account of the events of the evening in the Advocate on-line and for Saturday's paper...
The unlit Licking County Courthouse loomed in the night sky and a wintery chill was in the air.
Santa Claus had just sent word from his sleigh, alerting the horde of young and old fans who had gathered on the Courthouse Square that he was flying over Lake Erie and hoped to arrive soon.A group of children dressed as elves sang “Santa Claus is Coming To Town” on a spotlighted stage at the base of the courthouse, and Beth Yocum stood on a picnic table bench, taking it in.Yocum, 64, used to come to the courthouse lighting with her mother as a young girl. After a hiatus of several years, she and her husband, Harry Yocum, 61, returned to the square Friday for the lighting and appearance of Saint Nick himself. “We just like to do things together to welcome the Christmas season, and this seemed like the way to do it,” said Harry, who was nearly the same height as his wife as he stood on the ground next to her.
Friday marked the 60th annual lighting of the courthouse, made fiscally possible by community donations but carried out by the chorus of voices that shouted “Merry Christmas!” under Santa’s direction.They didn’t get it the first try, or the second.But after a promising pep talk from Santa, the decorated courthouse flickered and lit up for good.“I want you to close your eyes and feel the spirit of Christmas rise up from your feet and through your body, and let that spirit out,” he said. The final “Merry Christmas” that resounded from the crowd generated enough energy to keep the lights shining well beyond Christmas Day.
Among the crowd was Spencer Showalter, 4, of Newark, who came to his first courthouse lighting with his mother, Susan; father, Chad; and 5-month-old brother, Lucas, who hid beneath a blanket in a stroller.Spencer said he had come to cheer on Santa, who he hopes will bring him a toy dinosaur for Christmas this year.“I put that scary thing on my list,” he said with a smile.
After Santa had departed for the Arcade to visit with children, David and Jackie Johnson hung back for a few minutes with their two children to take some cell phone snapshots of the courthouse.Gabriel Johnson, 6, said his favorite part of Santa’s visit was when the courthouse lit up; his sister, Sydney, 12, agreed.“I liked just being able to come and see the lights being lit,” Sydney said.
