"They started the display in the 1970s with 100 lights and a manger."

Lights in the night: Naughty or nice?

By BERNARD BAKER
Register & Bee staff writer
December 1, 2006



DANVILLE VA. - A Caswell County Christmas tradition is under way again.

Leon and Ann Paschal’s Christmas light display lit up on Thanksgiving night.

Ann Paschal said Tuesday that the couple’s Casville, N.C., home should be adorned with 1.5 million lights - up a couple hundred thousand from last year.

“Last year, we had some people visit us from Hollywood, Calif., and some from Italy came by who were visiting relatives in the area,” she said.

There could be one hitch with the display that is set to run nightly until New Year’s Eve.

Some of the Paschals’ neighbors complained to the Caswell County Sheriff’s Office about people parking in their yards and blocking their driveways.

Cheryl Fuqua, spokeswoman for the sheriff’s office, said the Paschals’ attraction is popular in the area, but the street is narrow and there’s not much room for parking.

“Parking there is a problem. Cars can be towed,” Fuqua said.

People can drive through the Paschals’ property to view the display or park their cars and walk. Ann Paschal said many people prefer to park their cars and walk around the display.

She said her and her husband don’t want to do anything to upset their neighbors. They want people to enjoy the Christmas lights and the display found inside the log cabins.

“People really seem to appreciate what we do,” Ann said.

Last year, the couple’s electricity bill topped $11,000. However, contributions from viewers took care of those bills.

Now that both Leon and Ann Paschal have retired, they spend most of their time working and improving the display. They started the display in the 1970s with 100 lights and a manger.

“We’re getting older and slower. That’s all we do right,” said Ann Paschal, who retired from the Sanitary Café in Reidsville, N.C., after 29 years on the job.

Contact Bernard Baker at bbaker@registerbee.com or at (434) 791-7986.