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By Dave Greber,
Staff Writer
Updated 7:50 PM Tuesday, December 15, 2009
LIBERTY TWP. — Before a blade of grass graced his Four Bridges lawn five years ago, Liberty Twp. resident Tim Bateson was erecting an elaborate light display for Halloween.
It was no surprise to his neighbors this year that Bateson graduated to the big time: A computerized Christmas light show that dances for 35 minutes to holiday favorites and brightens up the December sky — and his cul-de-sac.
Planning began in July for the show that features more than 12,000 lights, more than a quarter mile of extension cords and specialized breaker boxes in his garage that look more like they were assembled by Clark W. Griswold.
“I used to live near Dorothy Lane (Market in Springboro), and you could see the glow from my house for five blocks,” Bateson said.
Don’t be fooled, though. The local database engineer has Christmas lights down to a science, costing him nearly $6,000 and between six and 40 hours to sync each song to a corresponding strand and display using specialized electrical and computer programs.
Bateson anticipates an estimated 10 percent to 20 percent jump in his December electric bill; considerable, but not National Lampoon-esq.
It’s also not like he’s doing it for the publicity, he says, because the show’s not for the casual observer or as a result of some fierce competition with the folks next door. Bateson’s been into light displays for the better part of the past three decades, besting himself with each flip of the calendar.
“For me, it’s for me,” Bateson said. “I’m just a big kid. If people come and enjoy it, that’s fantastic.
“If cars don’t show up, I might be a little disappointed, but I’d be OK with that.”
In addition to outdoor speakers — whose noise levels are neighbor-discrete— visitors can tune to 95.9 FM from their vehicles to hear the show’s music.
Evenings at the Bateson’s Royal Fern Court home run from 6 to 10 p.m., seven days a week, and include shows that vary among weekdays, weekends and overnight.
Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2112 or dgreber@coxohio.com.
»See a video of the Bateson family’s Christmas light display.
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