My hometown of Paden City was, on several occasions, during the past Christmas season, dark. The nice Christmas lights, which stretch for, probably a mile or more along Route 2, and, also down Main Street, weren’t turned on. When lit, there aren’t any nicer looking lights, anywhere in the valley.

There are three breakers to turn the lights on, so I am told, one near Jarvis Funeral Home, on the north end of town, one near the old grade school, on the south end of town, both on Route 2, and one on Main Street, on the telephone pole by the city building, just after you come down the steps, where, often, one of the city’s patrol cars is sitting. About six lights, on automatic timers, on the north end of town, near Convenient Food Mart, burn nightly.

If only we had more of these modern day wonders. As is, these lights stand out like a monkey on a dog’s back. Sort of a tease, I guess.

Can any of the brain trust in town give a good reason as to why these lights don’t get turned on nightly in town? It seems to me that 5-10 minutes, tops, would be all the time it would take to turn these lights on. It’s a simple job, doesn’t take too much energy and, requires little time for our patrolmen to be out of their warm cars.

The town looks so much better when lit for the Holiday season. The three breakers are not that tough to turn on, really. Shucks, you don’t even have to get your hands dirty.

Please, don’t say that the patrolmen in this small town are too busy to flip three switches on a nightly shift. I just cannot and will not, buy that one!

I do thank the patrolmen who took the time to turn the lights on when they were on duty. At least, our little town looked sharp on these occasions.

Dan Knowlton

Paden City