City of Lights Decorating Contest winners announced

<p>The lights have been hung, the halls decked and the winners of the City of Lights 2008 Business and Home Decorating Contest named.</p><!-- Nothing to do. The paragraph has already been output --><p>Participaants festively decorated their dwellings in the theme of “A Dickens Holiday Season: Petaluma 1858-2008 Past, Present and Future.”</p><p>The City of Lights contest is sponsored by the Petaluma Visitor Center.</p><p>Entries in the Business Decorating contest amounted to 20 this year and were accepted in four categories: Window Display, Lobby Display, Painted Window, and Outdoor Display. Each entry was judged on impact, originality, use of theme, quality and effort. </p><p>Named the first place Window Display winner is Sacks Hospice of Petaluma Thrift Store, (No. 19 on the map). Sacks is a former first and second place winner and has participated in the contest since 1999. </p><p>Second place Window Display honors go to Petalumen’s Lighting Co. LLC (No. 11 on the map). Petalumen’s has been on the map since 2006 and has been a first place winner in the Outdoor Display category twice. </p><p>The third place Window Display is now showing at Haus Fortuna, (No. 12 on the map).</p><p>The first place Lobby honor goes to dual category entry Marisa’s Fantasia, (No. 15 on the map). </p><p>The second place Lobby winner this year is Quality Inn, (No. 1 on the map). Due to a lack of entries in this category, there isn’t a Third Place winner this year. </p><p>In the Outdoor Display category, ADR and Serendipity Chiropractic Wellness Center (No. 3 on the map) take First Place. </p><p>Second place in the Outdoor Displays goes to Bettinelli Dairy (No. 6 on the map). </p><p>A tie at third place gives honors to Sky Hill Institute School of Wholistic Healing Arts (No. 13 on the map)and Ever May Garden Center (No. 9 on the map).</p><p>A first place in the Painted Window category goes to Stantec (No. 2 on the map). </p><p>Second place honors go to Pepper’s Restaurant (No. 5 on the map). </p><p>The judges did not award Third Place honors in this category this year. </p><p>For the first time this year, the judges gave special recognition to decorated businesses that were not on the map or entered in the contest. The Judges Recognition Award went to Paperwhite at 119 Kentucky St. for its special decorations. </p><p>Many businesses not only take part in the decorating competition each year, but also donate prizes for the Home Decorating Contest winners. This year The Petaluma Sesquicentennial committee, The Plaza North Shopping Center (including K-Mart) and Daphne’s Greek Café provided the prizes this year for the first, second and third place “Spirit of Christmas,” and “Best Use of Theme” residential winners. </p><p>2008 Home Decorating Contest winners</p><p>Entries in the Home Decorating Contest totaled 16 this year. First, second and third place winners were judged in the following categories: best use of declared theme, uniqueness and overall impression. Many contestants incorporated the citywide “A Dickens Holiday Season: 1858-2008 Petaluma-Past, Present and Future” theme into their decorations, while others created their own themes. In addition to the first, second and third place winners, the “Spirit of Christmas” award is given to the home winning the most points by the judges for capturing the spirit of family and community.</p><p>First place winner in this year’s Home Decorating Contest is the home at 1728 Capella Court (No. 5 on the map). </p><p>The home at 390 Albert Way (No. 10 on the map) took second place honors. </p><p>The home at 917 Claret Court (No. 2 on the map) was named to third place. </p><p>The “Spirit of Christmas” Award went to two homes: 1710 Colombard Road (No. 3 on the map); 1532 Joan Dr. (No. 8 on the map). </p><p>The home at 201 San Juan Way (No. 15 on the map) won The Best Use of Annual Theme award.</p><p>This year, due to an early print deadline, many of the regular home-decorating entrants did not get applications in on time for the map. Some homes, like the one at 1623 Cabernet Court, are decorated for the holidays, even though they didn’t make it on the map — so, look for them, too. </p><p>View all creative and original decorating contest entries (and some previous winners, including the home at 1074 Santa Clara Lane, which is now retired to the City of Lights Hall of Fame, on the self-guided City of Lights Driving Tour. The homes will be on display through Dec. 27.</p><p>A printable tour map is available on the internet at www.visitpetaluma.com and at the Petaluma Visitor Center at the Historic Depot Building, 210 Lakeville St. </p><p>Call the Petaluma Visitor Center at 769-0429 to find out how to get on the map for next year.</p>