Jackson Jambalaya

Eddie Edwards can't get out to chase down them ambulances!

1. That display is tacky as all get out. 2. Whether they are lawyers or not, if their neighborhood streets are getting congested and tons of additional traffic for one month out of the year, it is a nuisance. 3. This is not a war on Christmas but on a rude neighbor who thinks that the "meaning of Christmas" is reflected by putting up more lighting than the Jackson airport. The Edwards' have been living with this for years, and they will be able to accurately prove that this has been a problem.

He is a respected tax lawyer.

Somebody call these neighbors a WAAAmbulance!

As a neighborhood dweller, I don't mind saying that I would NOT want that sort of display near my house!! And I'm a Christian that likes to celebrate Christmas with the best of em'. The constant stream of gawkers going up & down the streets would be a total pain in the you-know-what.

I would not want the headache that comes with that display either...

The terrorists have won

How many of you that are talking negatively about this display have taken your kids or grandkids to see it? If you could witness the smiles and happiness it brings to them you would have a different attitude. You all sound like a bunch of grinches. Just for a few weeks be young again and remember how exciting it was when you were little to ride around and see all the lights. Our kids don't have a lot to enjoy these days. Let them enjoy their youthful dreams as we all did.

This is a tough one. The display has become a draw from all around Madison county which often results in a 30 minute wait in traffic waiting to see the Richardson's yard. We have taken the kids many times when out looking at Christmas lights. However, I can't imagine being a neighbor and having to sit in that kind of traffic when I'm just trying to get home!

his won’t be the first display to get shut down due to traffic. Since over the top displays have been viral, they get shut down because of traffic. Every year, somewhere in the USA, some decorator has to fight city hall to keep lit. Many are shut down because the decorators are irresponsible when it comes to traffic.

When Hoy Road is backed up to Highway 51, it hurts 1000’s, not just the people in sundial.

They made their mistake by seeking publicity after loosing control of their traffic. Shut it in for a year. Let it die, then bring it back and let word of mouth take control.

It’s unforunate they did not listen to others in the Christmas community detail their travails with cities and traffic.

It’s part of the overall picture. If you get too big, you get shut down.
Carson Williams got too big. His was the home that went viral in 2005that started the programmable light craze. Throw in the Great American Light Fight, and you have too many people trying to get famous.

Quick poll: who that thinks this display should continue would offer up their steet for five to six weeks of hundreds of cars a night?

Woodland Hills used to have the sacks with sand and candles on the 23rd and 24th of December; Cowan Place had mini-white lights in all the trees; Hawthorn had Large, lit Christmas Card Displays, Crane had colored Christmas Trees. We could not get out of our driveways from dark until around 10 and planned for it. What happened? Pres. Nixon asked us all not to have Christmas lights. After two years when Nixon was gone, the spirit was lost.

Just got an email from Southern Living Magazine and this is one of the articles
Why You Need to Plan a Magical Christmas Road Trip Through Mississippi’s Small Towns..
And the Richardson Display was one of the ones listed .....

I understand both sides. That said, if I were a neighbor, I'd be pissed and I wouldn't wait in traffic 30 mins in my own neighborhood each day to get home. "I pay my taxes and I'm going to take my lane right up the middle".

This falls under "too much of a good thing" and is no longer a beautiful display. Also, she says she wants to display the true meaning of Christmas (birth of our savior), but I don't think blow-up santas, airplanes, candy canes, and a million other displays has anything to do with the true meaning of Christmas. Don't get me wrong - I'm all in favor of taking the kids around to Oooooh and Ahhhhhh over the lights. But being inconsiderate of your neighbors is not "christian" and don't use the birth of our Savior as your excuse for your out of control, attention-getting display. This isn't about Jesus - it's about you! This isn't about a beautiful display - it's about you. This isn't even about Christmas - it's about you and all the attention you want! Scale it down and nearly everyone will be much happier.

Everyone that lives there participates and loves it except about 4 people. It's that simple. So does majority rule or does the minority get to dictate terms?

Wretched excess is wretched no matter the occasion. Even if we were doing it for Jesus, would He not weep to see it? All of the deadly sins involve
immoderate behavior, but that point gets lost a good bit of the time.

I've invoked St. Timothy McGraw before: be humble and kind. These folks are neither.

I live off Hoy just before Sundial. During the season, it adds 10-20 minutes to your drive home if you get home after dark. That being said, it doesn't get real bad, traffic-wise, until after 7:30 or so. I can deal with it and my kids love going to see it. However, if I were one of his neighbors, it would get old.

Take your kids and grandchildren out to see alligators and airplanes crashing too. Since when is 'what kids enjoy' our barometer for what we should allow in a neighborhood. The place is a total nightmare for neighbors for five weeks every year. Rutted yards, crap thrown out of car windows, lights intruding through your home windows, traffic all night long by the hundreds, screeching and screaming. I went last year and don't think I saw a thing related to Jesus or Christianity. Nothing but gaudy damned screaming commercial lights and every plastic item you could get from Wal Mart or order off the internet times four. All that's lacking is a clown selling cotton candy and passing out free condoms. Well, that and a fat woman painting paw-prints on childrens' faces and sellin' rubber bracelets and corn dogs.

I live down the street and agree that the display is tacky as hell and the traffic it creates is crazy. If they detail police to direct traffic, then I have to look at blue lights all night long too.

If you want to give something back, donate to a faith-based charity, help someone without the means travel home to see family, or help a military family out.

I fall squarely in the middle of this shouting match. On one hand, I am a flat fool for all things merry and bright, and even a tad gaudy, come Christmas time. And now, with tiny grand-tots who would adore such a display, I'm ready to load 'em in the car and go see this! Traffic jam be damned! We'll tote a thermos of hot chocolate, some homemade gingersnaps, and wait in line!

But, then, Burke has a point, and "wretched excess," if not outright sinful, is at least tacky. So I suppose that I'd vote that these *son et lumiere* enthusiasts be politely thanked for the pleasure they have given in the past, and asked to scale it back a notch or two.

I question the title of this post.

The traffic it creates is awful for neighbors or anyone having the misfortune of having to drive down that area. The selfishness of the creators and their call to arms should not be rewarded. Why should their need to create a spectacle override others' quiet enjoyment?

If the city want to keep the display, let it be moved to Liberty Park.

Here's a GRAND idea! Why don't the offended Grinch party join in the fun and decorate their home to compliment the Richardson display? They don't have to go all "Clark Griswold", but a little Christmas cheer might just be what they need to get the burr out of their bums.

So does majority rule or does the minority get to dictate terms?

Ask the RINOs in Congress running the House and Senate.

Are they reimbursing the city for providing police to direct traffic? If not, taxpayers are subsidizing the cost of this. There are hundreds of vacant lots in non-residential areas they could lease or buy to move all of this to where it would not cause any problems. Some shopping centers would probably like to have something like this to draw traffic to them.

When your side show makes it hard for the neighbors to get to their own homes it is time to take the show on the road. What gives anyone the idea they can stop people from coming and going to their own home just so you can get a little attention? Find another way to get noticed.

Shame on Eddie Edwards. Children of all ages look forward to this extravagant illumination honoring Jesus every year. In this day and age, there's not much left that's free for the family during the holidays.

5:41 - excellent idea moving it to a shopping center! They could set it up in the parking lot of Metro Center, I'm sure it would bring a lot of business to that part of town. WIN-WIN!

Shame to those who want this display to stop, move or scale back! Children AND adults enjoy coming to see the Richardson's display. Those who are whining should have moved to Gluckstadt into a cookie cutter house. Get off your high horses Queen wannabes!!

Does Ginger live on Sundial? Hmmmmm Someone go hug her!!

Hey 8:04 (and all of you who DON'T have to deal with this every year), 2:09 here - why don't we set this up near your house and you can deal with the traffic and the crowds and the noise? How about Strawberry Park?

Appears to be a commercial display; why not have it in a commercial zone?

Hey 2:09 CHILL! I bet you don't go to the bank, post office or God forbid the DMV due to the lines there. I can see you now, sitting in your Mercedes at THE Kroger in Madison waiting for someone to bring your groceries out to you.

How is throwing up a bunch of lighted candy canes celebrating the birth of Jesus?

Put it up in Jackson. By the end of the first week, most of it will be stolen. Problem solved.

^^^ You invisibly don’t know the history of the candy cane

The thing that amazes me is the fact there are two ways to get into this neighborhood. Mr. and Mrs. Lawyer along with Mr.and Mrs. Doctor can take their lazy butts and go the other way. I vote if they shut it down for all the children to knock on these bullies doors and take a picture with THE GRINCH THAT STOLE CHRISTMAS!!! The Bullies should thank God for this being their only problem in life.

@10:30: Candy canes were originally made in the shape of a J to represent the shepherd's hook, symbolizing the shepherds visit to Jesus. So hope that answers your sarcastic question.

"Honoring Jesus"? Puleeze spare me. I've never seen anything related to Christ at this carnival. Instead, they are honoring plastic. I can hear them now, "Oh, honey, I just counted the 1500th car tonite!"

You got to be some kind of damned attention-hog, psychologically, to pull off this side-show. They need to add an Ooompah-pah band over on the left side of the lawn between the fifteen foot tall Uncle-Sam and the giant green turtle crapping little baby turtles.

What about building a nice platform for Mayor Mary to sit on. She could wear a Snow White costume and do that Miss America wave, and maybe be holding a sparkler that never goes out. And have little glittery peacocks at her feet. She does love the attention. Perfect fit. Win Win.

Another idea would be to move this comedy down to Mr. Rice's rusted-boat-hull museum on Rice Road. There's even a turn lane that could be used for slow traffic.

Where is Michah Goober? Goober would be all up in this debate. I miss the good ole days when kroger boy messed up, pineapples, and peacocks were the issue. We would hear dumbass opinions from Goober.

I expect the money that pays the light bill alone could make sure a lot of children who won't have Santa come visit or even a tree would have their eyes " light up" Christmas morning.
The Marine Corp drive would love to the toys that display could have bought.
Some cities have light displays in parks where they can plan for traffic and parking . The display in NOLA is beautiful.
And, the truth is that you can decorate a house beautifully with a less garish display and children's eyes still light up.
Turn the fair grounds into a Christmas Wonderland by donating all those over the top displays and the money you spend for electricity. Help set it up if the electrical challenge brings you joy.
Ruining Christmas for your neighbors with traffic noise, litter, lights and music so constant they can't enjoy peace in their homes isn't my notion of the spirit of Christmas.
Has it occurred to anyone that any of the neighbors could ever be sick or have cancer and need either the quiet or hope an ambulance can get to them?
And, I'm shocked at the person who seems to think that "two entrances to Sundial" is relevant to traffic at all! Has he never tried to turn into a driveway in bumper to bumper or think that those going in the other direction can't see the light display? Lord help us ! Some apparently lack the imagination to be thoughtful and considerate of others.

AGGRESSION BY PROXY is what I'd call this whole mess. Narcissists love playing the hero. But the same narcies who love being heroes, ALSO LOVE HURTING PEOPLE.

For that sort of person (or family), what could be better than this circus? These "heroes" get to "brighten the lives of children and adults", while ruining the lives of their neighbors.

They've WEAPONIZED JESUS, as a defense against criticism (where I come from, that's called TAKING THE LORD'S NAME IN VAIN). And so, they get to sit back and enjoy the nonstop parade of loud vehicles making life hell for the neighbors.

But the aggression is being committed by the white bubbas in loud trucks, taking little Cody-Trey and Hayunnuh-Mayygin "ta suuuuuaaaaeeee thuuuuuu laaaaahts". And the bubbas aren't the worst of it. You've got fart cannons being driven by scum of all types - people who would not otherwise be in Madison (people who may COME BACK TO ROB the fancy houses they've seen, on the way to view the tacky spectacle of lights).

Being a "hero to children", while hurting the community: IT'S A NARCISSISTIC SOCIOPATH'S DREAM!

If I were the neighbors, I'd stop fixing the rutted yards caused by this mess, and STOP PICKING UP THE TRASH left by the trash. I'd just let the whole mess sit there until it's time to start mowing the lawns again. Maybe the city will eventually get the message.

10:13, you're missing the point - I literally can't get out of my driveway during this nonsense, my family who visits from out of town during the holidays are inconvenienced, and it takes me nearly a half hour to get down the street.

Let's see how supportive you'd be if this display was causing you this kind of inconvenience. These things never seem to be a big deal when it's happening to someone else -- I agree that this has grown beyond a private display and should be moved to a public space.

At peak times,, traffic backs up to HWY 51. Think about that. You spend an hour going from Kroger east of Sundial.

The needs of the community outweigh the need to have a tacky light display, featured in SuperTalk, USA Today, GAFL, and other medi generating more and more traffic. Their ‘crime’ is pursuing publicity to promote the show. And now they have it, you have to pay the piper. Shut it down and let it die down.

Richard Holdman, the guy that did Amazing Grace that went viral was shut down by his HOA. They will be part of the long list of casualties caused by too many cars.

While I can see both sides, I say that fun and merriment and Christmas joy win. We lived in Jackson next door to a well-lit display on a dead end street. Yes, we had to creep home behind lines of cars and limos on their way to Christmas parties, but we thoroughly enjoyed the lights and joined in by passing out hot chocolate on cold nights. God bless us everyone.

12:07 - good for you, maybe they'll move this display to your dead end street. It shouldn't be too hard to get in touch with these attention hogs.

Amen, 12:07.
1:38, you suck.

They should partner with Canton for the Victorian Christmas thingie. They could use some more decorations. Ya'll should go if you have kids. They even have a train (gotta pay for tickets tho)

The winner is the " IT'S A NARCISSISTIC SOCIOPATH'S DREAM!" comment.

These decorations are too tacky for the Canton display.

Right, 5:31! The Canton Square was actually planned, and ZONED, to accommodate crowds and traffic. Furthermore, the street layout is actually GRIDDED - providing alternate routes, for area residents trying to get home from long days at work, have dinner, and get to bed on time (because they have WORK or SCHOOL the next day).

Canton actually BENEFITS from its visitors, because the Square is where things like that are supposed to happen.

And you know someplace that would benefit even more? FARISH STREET!

It's one big vacant lot, except for the fine new brick street and sidewalks. If somebody REALLY wanted to put a smile on some children's faces - children who are REALLY poor, and who REALLY need some Christmas cheer - that's the place.

Farish Street is an entertainment district looking for entertainment. Again, it's PLANNED, and ZONED for such a spectacle. All those visitors, would actually provide a boost for the area.

Semi-rural neighborhoods - places where people have moved for peace and quiet - are NOT planned and zoned for month-long events like this.

As our great-grandmothers used to say, "There's a time and a place for everything, dear!"

Every comment states something like "This tacky Christmas display doesn't benefit Jesus at all" ...
Well your rude and hateful comments are NOT pleasing to Jesus either! Get a REAL problem. Get a life. Move on! It's a Christmas display not WWIII. Let's praise God for another day on this earth & stop complaining about EVERYTHING!!!
(And don't even try to comment back saying I don't live around this display. Yes. Actually I do. I live on Sundial Rd. So Goodnight)
May you wake up and be thankful you get to see another Christmas on this earth- some unfortunately do not.

I heard from the MPD they've signed up for that ABC Christmas Light TV contest. $50K grand prize. Get over yourselves and your "ministry" talk.

EVERY comment says something that, 1:11 AM? REALLY? But how nice of you, to drop by, and tell us what is pleasing unto Jesus, and what is not. I suppose you've got the inside track on that. Do voices give you this information? I suppose you're a TRUE prophet, and not one of those FALSE PROPHETS we were taught about in church.

As for, "Get a REAL problem. Get a life. Move on! It's a Christmas display not WWIII. Let's praise God for another day on this earth & stop complaining about EVERYTHING!!! (And don't even try to comment back saying I don't live around this display...", MYYYY, we certainly are BOSSY! Have you always had 'Queen Bee Syndrome', or is this a manifestation of ACQUIRED SITUATIONAL NARCISSISM? Maybe rising from poverty, to relative wealth and power, then becoming the center of attention is what caused it?

And ya know what I say, when some queen bee starts trying to boss me around? It's a little something I learned from my classmates at Tulane (the real one, on St. Charles Avenue, not the wannabe version at 51 & 463): "kush meyn tokhes!". That's what I say.

Really, dear, if you think you're gonna 'guilt-trip' THIS bunch into silence, by weaponizing Jesus and telling us what to do and feel, then you obviously were not a JJ reader, when we were discussing Chicken Ranch Anna's Flophouse Franchise. A whole gaggle of paid trolls tried to shut us up, using those tactics, and it DIDN'T WORK.

Great display, lots of fun to see, bring the kids and enjoy. However, it is too much for a neighborhood with limited access. The backed up traffic affects a lot of people negatively, not only Sundial residents, but many other residents and other users of Hoy Road.

With permission of a generous landowner, like the City of Madison, the display could easily be moved to a more suitable place where it can be enjoyed by the Richardsons and the public.

Mr. Edwards is a great guy and respected member of the community. We should be thankful to him and citizens like him who raise legitimate concerns instead of letting this go on and on unchecked.

And the city council has voted it’s not a nuisance. Display will take place this year as planned.

The City Board made a big mistake with this decision today. It sets a precedent for the city that will make them wish they had closed this show (in the middle of an affluent neighborhood) down. Livestock and birds even peacocks are not allowed, but this is?

This is really unbelievable. Hoy Road has traffic problems WITHOUT that sideshow going on. I cannot imagine what it must be like with that mess clogging things up even worse.

I googled Sundial, just to see how far it is from us (nowhere near, thank heavens), and see that 'Richardson Light Show' is even on Google Map.