DAKOTA CITY, Neb. | Jerry Yacevich took a week of vacation during mid-November, as he's done for many years in a Tyson Fresh Meats career that spans 35 years.
He spent his week off completing annual medical appointments, hunting deer and setting up Christmas lights at the Dakota City home he shares with wife, Benita.
"I've got eight to 10 totes alone for lights," said Yacevich, who resides at 1608 Mulberry St. on the southern edge of Dakota City.
"He actually starts getting things out two days after Halloween," said Benita, who estimates his Christmas-on-steroids enthusiasm began lighting up the neighborhood 15 years ago. "My job is to be in here, in the garage, scraping and painting."
The couple also spent part of the afternoon shopping. It seems they're always looking out for new holiday decorations. On this day, they visited Home Depot and didn't come home empty-handed.
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"I love the looks on kids' faces when they come around," said Jerry, who also serves as Dakota City mayor. "It's neat to see them light up as they stop by. We have lots of adults who come here each year, too."
Jerry Yacevich plans to don a Santa suit and beard this season. He'll hand out candy canes to children as time and Mother Nature permit. Thus far, Mother Nature has been extremely kind to Christmas decorators.
On this night in mid-November, for example, Yacevich was clad in jeans and a T-shirt as he set up illuminated inflatables that ranged from Santa Claus to Frosty the Snowman.
"If the weather gets cold after we light things up, I might have to duck into my heated shop," he said, explaining that even the Dakota City version of Santa will need a respite from single-digit temperatures.
The garage, which has become this Santa's workshop each fall, contains thousands of lights and assorted Christmas village items. Another shed, built several years ago by Jerry, houses the bulk of his Yuletide collection. There's even a small Ferris wheel showing elves, a project that involved assembly under the sunny skies of this November.
The power to illuminate and move all these parts caused some "sticker shock" for Jerry and Benita a few years ago. Benita remarked they were on a "total 12" utility payment plan when representatives from their provider called to warn them of four $400 bills that would be forthcoming in January, February, March and April. Benita said she'd been paying $100 per month.
"The Nebraska PPD recommended we switch to LED lighting, which would help lower the costs for electrical usage," she said.
"We're sold on LED lighting because the colors are sharper and they use less power," Jerry said.
Typically, their December bill rises to $500, a cost the couple happily absorbs as long as it keeps putting smiles on the faces of young and old. Benita told of a bus from Embassy Suites that makes multiple visits to their neighborhood each holiday season. Visitors enjoy the sights of both the Yacevich display and that of the Cantrells just a block or so southeast of here.
"Jerry and Terry (Chantrell) are crazy about Christmas," Benita said. "They've even talked about someday having a Santa fly through this area at night, maybe down the 1500 block of Willow."
A far-fetched thought? Maybe. Maybe not. It certainly isn't out of the realm of possibility when one considers how bright this two-lot corner has become in recent years. Such a Santa display would take one part ingenuity, two parts power.
