KALAHEO — Santa Claus is there, standing in the driveway of Gwen Carveiro’s home on Onohi Lane in Kalaheo. The lights are in full splendor, dancing in the breezy winds and joined by more homes sprouting illuminated holiday displays. “I
KALAHEO — Santa Claus is there, standing in the driveway of Gwen Carveiro’s home on Onohi Lane in Kalaheo.
The lights are in full splendor, dancing in the breezy winds and joined by more homes sprouting illuminated holiday displays.
“I walk by while setting up the lights,” said Juan Lorenzo, one of the homeowners on Onohi Lane. “If the home is dark, I just tell them how dark it is, and the next thing you know, there are lights.”
Sunday evening, Onohi Lane overflowed with parked cars whose passengers milled about and were chased by Bob, one of the lifesized Minions.
Those antics do not change the presentation of Minions surrounded by more familiar icons of Christmas as tinier Minions are joined by Ninja Turtles and other familiar keiki characters frolicking in the wonderland.
“When Larry Carveiro passed in August, we said the lights will be back,” Lorenzo said. “Santa might be watching from up there, and this year, we have Christmas elves, but the lights are on — more and brighter than ever. When I found out about Larry passing on, I put up a string of lights. It’s been on every night since then, and now, the display is on.”
Lorenzo said the displays are also growing.
“We had a new family move in about a month ago,” he said. “I asked him if he wanted to play with us — no need be fancy, just one string of lights. But the next night, he didn’t do just one string — he decorated his whole yard, and what is so fancy is the light projects patterns onto his driveway and wall.”
Another neighbor whose lights were dimmed because of the wind had a star in his picture window after decorating his Christmas tree, Lorenzo said.
“This is the Three Stars of Onohi Lane,” Lorenzo said. “The big star on the tree (which can be seen from portions of Kaumualii Highway), the star over the Nativity, and now the star in the window. The arches on Larry’s house? The firemen did that. They came and helped unpack and set up some of the lights.”
Gwen Carveiro greeted every guest.
“Where’s my hug?” she asks, if someone forgets the gesture.
Tanner, still clad in the green of the University of Hawaii, was joined by Elves Lisa and Marvin, his parents.
“We keep on going,” Lisa said. “There are blanks which need to be filled.”
The lights go on at sundown every night through Christmas Eve.
“We go out of costume, Christmas Day,” said Elf Marvin.
