September 1997

'Osborne-ized' Market 1 million lights and lots of angels planned Date: 09/25/97 Category: NEW Page: 1B Michelle Hillier, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Jcnnings Osborne plans to "Osborne-ize" his Riverfront Park Christmas light display this year, increasing the number of lighted holiday figures from four to 300. Visitors "will be engulfed in lights" as they stroll along the brick walkway behind the Little Rock River Market, entering a "winter wonderland," Osborne said. The project is just one of 20 holiday lighting projects in Arkansas the local philanthropist will undertake in 1997 -- three years after the Arkansas Supreme Court ordered him to markedly reduce his home Christmas light display. By 1993, Osborne was using 3 million lights to turn his Cantrell Road property into a dazzling display that attracted international attention and legions of visitors. Osborne expects the Riverfront Park display to include more than a million lights. The Supreme Court had sided with six of Osborne's neighbors, who complained about people littering and walking on their lawns, and traffc congestion created when motorists lined the roadway to view the spectacle. Osborne now limits his home display to one lighted angel that has a flashing tear drop, giving it the appearance of crying. "It was so traumatic at the time," Osborne said of the Supreme Court's decision. "I get melancholy at Christmas time when I can't have Christmas lights. But this has opened so many doors for me." One door belongs to Mickey Mouse and his friends at Walt Disney World in Florida, where Osborne took many of his lights in 1995. Again this year, Osborne will light up Residential Street at the Disney-MGM Studios lot at the theme park. "We can't let Mickey down," Osborne said. He said there will be some additions to the Walt Disney World display, including snowmen with Mickey ears and hiding Mickeys that children will be encouraged to find. Osborne's battle to keep his Christmas lights burning also caught the attention of community leaders throughout Arkansas, who continue to ask Osborne to decorate their towns. In response, Osborne said he plans to string lights in several new towns every year. "I wish I could flip a switch and light all of Arkansas -- and that's what I want to do," Osborne said. The towns added to Osborne's Christmas light list this year are Benton, Melbourne, Monticello, Fort Smith and Van Buren. And every year, he said, there will be one large project. Last year, his big project was lighting the state Capitol. This year, Osborne selected the Riverfront Park area, where he had four lighted figures last year. He also strung lights along the streets of the River Market District. "Last year, I wasn't happy with the River Market," he said. "Four figures did not do it justice. It wasn't Osborne-ized." He said designers have been working on the project all year. In early October, crews should start erecting the 5-feet high figures. Osborne said there will be three themes -- a fun area with Mickey Mouse, a religious area and a traditional Christmas-related area. The number of angels is the greatest of any of the figures. There will be 20 kneeling angels, 40 standing angels, 80 flying angels and 20 heralding angels. The public will be invited to start walking through the display Dec. 2, when Osborne will sponsor a fireworks show over the Arkansas River. Also, he said, his family will be there handing out "a jillion, or is that a zillion, candy canes." He added, "And there will be a few surprises -- it will be Christmas." The display will glow nightly through Jan. 2, city offcials said. Osborne's plan was welcome news to members of the River Market Design Review Committee, which met Wednesday. Little Rock Planning and Development Director Jim Lawson informed the committee of the project. The committee agreed to allow the lights to be switched on at 5:30 p.m. to remind commuters heading home of the display. The lights will remain on throughout the evening for security reasons, offcials said. One question the committee had for Lawson was who would pay for the power to light the Riverfront display. Neither he nor Osborne could answer that Wednesday. "At the Capitol, we generated our own electricity," Osborne said. "Some towns provide the electricity. We'll work something out."

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