New Displays Light Up Orchard

It’s that time of the year to deck the halls, or in Orchard’s case, deck the streets.

Poinsettias and candles line main street in Orchard this year, different from the normal snowflakes.

Brenda Harrison, Village Clerk/Treasurer, said the old lights “were outdated and we always had to fix them.”

Harrison, along with Bruce Horstmann, brought up purchasing new lights at the Village of Orchard board meeting last month. The board approved the purchase of new lights through the city’s Keno Account.

Several Orchard Economic Development Association (OEDA) board members were present, including Tammy Cheatum and Stephanie Cleveland, who gave their ideas of what to get for the new lights. It was decided to purchase poinsettias and candles.

The lights went up the week before Thanksgiving and were officially turned on last Friday. They will ​remain up until the new year.
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Also new this year, the town of Orchard is having a Christmas light display in the park. The idea for the light display came from Orchard Economic Development Association (OEDA) board member Tammy Cheatum.

Cheatum thought of the idea last year when she and her husband Glen were taking down their Christmas lights.

“We should put up lights in the park,” Glen said.

Tammy was shocked because Glen normally grumbles while putting up the lights at their house, but once the idea was lit, Tammy sprang into action.

She first mentioned the idea to Lynae Stelling, who told her sister Janice Mosel, who donated multiple totes filled with lights and other supplies. Stelling also rescued Christmas decorations from her father-in-law, Richard, who was disposing of them. Becky Moser was also a huge donor of decorations.

Tammy also took to Facebook asking for donations of lights and decorations that people were no longer using.

After realizing it would take many volunteers to help put up the decorations, Tammy enlisted help from the OEDA group and members of the community.

After watching “Christmas Light Fights,” Tammy got the idea to build an arch over each entrance to the park. Ro Hurtig donated two 40-foot long PVC pipes, and Steve Stelling and Glen constructed the arches.

The park lighting will officially take place on Sunday, Dec. 2 at 6:30 p.m., with hot chocolate and cookies being served.

“I believe that this an event to continue to build upon each year and continue to add more lights and other attractions,” Cheatum said. “It is so exciting to promote new things in our town and have the OEDA spurring growth within our community.”

The lights will be lit each night and will continue to be on display until January 1.