Holiday Lights Contest results

COLUMBIA BASIN — The judges' eyes have nearly recovered from the almost blinding displays of Christmas lights hung throughout the Basin and the results are in for the Columbia Basin Herald's Holiday Lights Contest.

The contest was judged by a panel of Columbia Basin Herald staff and also influenced by phone calls and e-mails from readers who sent in their votes for the best holiday light displays in the Basin.

This year's winners are Steve and Sandy Hill, at 9336 Naples Street in Moses Lake.

They start putting up lights the day after Thanksgiving and add something new each year. This year they added a carriage. The Hills adorn their home with about 9,000 lights, and also play Christmas music for passersby to enjoy. The project takes about two weeks to set up.

In second place was 1332 Cougar Drive in Moses Lake, which received an abundance of reader calls and e-mails. The owners were not able to be contacted by press time.

In third place was Chuck and Vickie Lybbert, at 8674 Arlene Road in Moses Lake.

The couple spends more then a week to setting up an estimated 15,000 lights.

The Lybberts start setting up their lights two weeks before Thanksgiving and take them down in January.

Other fantastic displays our judges and readers think you should see are:

? Vernal Avenue, Moses Lake

? Belair Drive, Moses Lake

? 1030 Lakeland Drive, Moses Lake

? 8405 Road 10 NE, Moses Lake

? 658 Road L NE, Moses Lake

? The willow tree at 205 Northshore Drive, best seen from the Alder Street fill or Neppel Park

Thank you to all our readers who voted for their favorites and sent in photographs.

— Staff report