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4K THE PALM BEACH POST SUNDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2005

4K FINAL

William Brow says the key to decorating his Royal Palm Beach house is imagination. He cut a swing-set apart to mimic a chair lift.

RICHARD GRAULICH/Staff Photographer

THE BROWS
Lisa Potts house not only has a mural but Santa and his reindeer and hundreds of lights.
Staff photos by ELIZA GUTIERREZ

William and Dawn Brow

11821 66th St. N., Royal Palm Beach

Every year, beginning around Halloween, semi-truck driver William Brow puts in four or five hours after work each night getting his holiday display just right. This year, his seventh decorating, he even has a ski lift that runs across the road. He also has Frosty, Santa, candles, soldiers, reindeer stalls and a big pen for his eight reindeer and more than 250,000 lights. William, who often uses stuff other people would throw away, says the key to his success is imagination. William gets a lot of help from his neighbors, especially from Chris Major, 15. And its catching on. More neighbors on his street are lighting up for the holidays. Some neighbors think Im going to cause a blackout, he says with a ho ho ho. And my best friends little girls first words, after Mommy and Daddy, were, Billys lights are on. Directions: Go west on Okeechobee Boulevard to Royal Palm Beach Boulevard, then go north about 212 miles to 66th Street.

THE POTTSES
1225 N.W. Eighth St., Boynton Beach

Unlike the material things . . . the memories we make in front of an old wooden door will never get old or be forgotten. Lisa Potts, who paints her garage door every year

Lisa Potts, and Ashley and Sean Atteberry

With help from her nephew, Sean Atteberry, 21, and her niece, Ashley, 19, Lisa Potts paints an elaborate scene on her garage door each year. It started out to be a onetime thing: Potts was going to replace the door and thought shed have some fun with it before throwing it out. She began with SpongeBob Squarepants, then Nemo, then Shrek. Potts said its a little sad each year to paint over the previous years work. This year, it was Easter before Potts got out the paint and roller. We decided at the end of last year that we were becoming too predictable, Potts said. The day after Wilma, they got started. They chose Monsters Inc. My favorite part is that someone starts something, and someone else might come along and finish it, she said. Like, Ashley started a character, and she got to a certain point, and she was getting frustrated. I said, Youre tired, just go, and two days later, she came back, and I had just tweaked a few things, and everyone was happy. Then Sean hit a block, and he had to leave, and Ashley came

The Pottses garage door is famous for its Christmas cartoons. This year, its Monsters, Inc. From left: Ashley Atteberry, Lisa Potts, Sara Wetjen and Sean Atteberry.
and kicked butt. Potts is a Little League umpire who helped coach the East Boynton Little League team that won the national championship in 2003. But Hurricane Wilma pulled the rug out from under the team, which might not have a field to play on next year. We might have to try to share a field, Potts said, if we cant get it fixed. So this year, Potts has a donation box for the team at her display. Directions: I-95 to Boynton Beach Boulevard. Go west a half-mile and turn right at N.W. Seventh Street. Go four streets to N.W. 10th Avenue. Turn left, and go two blocks to the second stop sign at N.W. Eighth Street. Turn right. Its the fifth house on the left.

A Ferris wheel, merry-go-rounds and a winter wonderland village fill the Doyles Lake Worth yard with holiday cheer.

CAROLYN DRAKE/Staff Photographer

THE URENES
Katie, Ralph, Patrick and Tiffanee Urene
5654 Dryden Road, West Palm Beach
There isnt an inch of this house and yard that isnt decorated, thanks to 16-year-old Patrick Urene. For years, Patrick worked beside his dad, putting up the elaborate display. This year, Patrick graduated to lighting director. Among the decorations: a nativity, Christmas trees, Santa and Frosty, an archway with lights and wooden reindeer and a sleigh with Santa, lots of candy canes, wreaths, an angel, reindeer and sleigh on the roof. There are more than 21,000 lights in all. It takes me about two weeks, said Patrick, a sophomore at John I. Leonard High School. I start at the end of October. Ill do my homework and then eat, and its hard for my parents to get me to come in. I think of new ideas, and I like to look and see what other people do. I do

THE DOYLES

74 West Palmetto Road, Lake Worth

Bryan, Tricia, Jessica and Jack Doyle

The Urenes property in suburban West Palm Beach is covered with 21,000 lights.
it for everyone to enjoy and come see. Directions: I-95 to Forest Hill Boulevard. Go west and turn right on Florida Mango Road. At the first light, Summit Boulevard, turn left. Go past Military Trail and Haverhill Road, cross the canal. At the first right, Chase Street, turn and go about a half-mile to Dryden Road. Turn left. There are more houses to see on Arlington, St. James and St. George streets, which connect Summit and Dryden Road.

Staff photos by J. GWENDOLYNNE BERRY

It helps to have an electrician in the family. Grandpa Jack Doyle, an electrical contractor, covered the Lake Worth homes roof with more than 100,000 computer-operated lights. The whole house changes from red to green to blue. In all, the Doyles have more than 200,000 lights in a display thats become so popular, police make their street one-way for the month of December in order to control traffic. Their display includes a winter wonderland village, 7-foot Ferris wheel with Disney characters, two merry-go-rounds, and a 21-foot Santa and sleigh on the roof. All has not been merry, however, for Bryan and Tricia Doyle. In 1998, their first daughter, Nicole, passed away as an infant. In 2002, their daughter Jessica, then 3, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Each year, the Doyles collect toys and other donations for the Pediatric Oncology Support Team at St. Marys Medical Center. The Doyles would like visitors to the display to bring a toy for the kids in the unit. The Doyles also work with the Palm Beach County Sheriffs Office to collect toys for poor children. Directions: Take Lake Worth Road west past Jog Road about 2 miles to Ohio Road (before Nassau Square) and turn left. Continue south to West Palmetto and turn right. The house is about halfway down on the right.

Stories by Janis Fontaine

Patrick Urene, a sophomore at John I. Leonard, designed his familys holiday light display this year.

View more photos of local displays, and send photos of your house at PalmBeachPost.com/Holidays

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THE NOVAKS
Andy Wallace and 4-year-old son, Cameron, 4, cheer as the Novaks switched on their holiday lights
CYDNEY SCOTT Staff Photographer

I think the lights reflect the happiness we share in our home. Christmas lets everyone know how loved and appreciated they are. Kimberly Novak
The Novaks display boasts a giant candy-cane tunnel about 100 feet long, a 20-foot-tall Christmas tree, 5,000 green lights on the fence, a Merry Christmas sign displayed on the roof, which has 8,000 red and green lights. The yard is trimmed out with 10,000 rope lights, plus lots of lawn figurines such as reindeer, snowmen, and angels, a huge Santa, the Grinch, and soldiers. Directions: I-95 to Hypoluxo Road. Go west to Military Trail, and turn left (south). Go a half-mile, turn right on Dolphin Drive and go to the end. Make a left, and youll see the glow 50 yards down on the left.

Dan and Kimberly Novak 4988 Palm Way, Lake Worth

More than 200 people showed up for the annual lighting ceremony at the Novaks house. We had hot chocolate and food for the guests, Dan said, thanks to Mr. Allen from our local Publix and Jim from Carmellas, who donated the pizzas.