Photo by ROGER LALONDE

Greg West, left, chairman of the Christmas Island Style Awards Committee, talks with the winners of the home decorating contest, Barbara Maikisch, second from left, and Linda Wynns, along with committee member Dave Rice and Tricia Dorn of Lee County Electric Company, who presented a $500 prize to the winners. Missing from the photo is Linda Wynns' husband Quirico. Maikisch is holding a new sign recognizing them as the winners after the first sign was stolen from their yard.

David Rice, committee chair of the Marco Island Home & Business Decorating Committee (H&BDc), and his committee crew of judging elves bid a festive farewell to the Island’s 2007 Holiday Season Jan. 5 at Sanitasole at Barfield, 218 S. Barfield Dr., Marco Island.

Merry Marco Islanders were gathered together that evening to applaud the winners and recognize committee members of the 11th Annual Christmas Home and Business Decorating Contest that began Dec. 10. The Home and Business Decorating Committee’s Zone Judging Teams started to visit each light-decorated home within nine zones as well as all light-decorated storefronts, covering every street on the Island.

That having been said, on to the awards ceremony evening’s events: “I sent out invitations to 100 people,” said Paula Robinson, the owner/operator of Sanitasole at Barfield along with husband Richard and, of course, both serve on the H&BDC. The couple graciously extend their hospitality and donate all the food and beverages for the annual event. The invited guests enjoyed an extensive selection of holiday cookies, hors d’oeuvres, beer, wine and soda served for cocktail hour out on the patio, followed by a bountiful buffet dinner set up in the inside dining area.

“We simplified it this year,” said Richard Robinson, who was greeting guests coming out to the patio but also managed to tell us about the menu: barbecued ribs and chicken, cole slaw, potato salad, baked beans, rolls and tossed salad. “Last year it was more complex — too many hors d’oeuvres and too much left over,” he stated, looking over to Mike Mickes seated in an adjacent chair.

“I’m happily retired,” Mickes volunteered, adding that he was chairman in charge of decorating the Marco Island Trolley that transported the judges and committee members going to all the contest finalist homes for the final selection of the Best on Marco.

“This is the second year it was electrified,” said Mickes. “All the decorations and lights for the trolley were donated by Marco Island Florist’s owners Joe and Nancy Carrington.”

Subsequently, David Rice stood up to invite the assemblage to join him for the presentation awards ceremony to be held in an adjoining room following the dinner buffet, and motioned us over to meet Marie Steed, the manager, for seven years, of the Sunshine Booksellers store at 1000 N. Collier Blvd. #14, owned by Stuart and Theresa Unger, that won the Individual Business category of the 2007 Business Decorating Contest.

“We really didn’t have a clue” said Steed. “We weren’t aware of the contest and were simply decorating for the holiday like we do every year — we found out on the 15th!”

Finally, food and libations sated and everyone seated, David Rice wished one and all a Happy New Year on behalf of the Committee and explained, “When we started this there was no award — it was just to have fun, to get press (coverage) and to promote the contest — certainly not about wining — it’s about participating,” he said, “You should all be proud of yourself!”

Rice noted that the total number of homes decorated in 2007 was 1543, a new record for most number of homes decorated since 1997, and well over the 1259 homes decorated in 2006. He then acknowledged and thanked Paula and Richard Robinson “for a wonderful job” as well as his wife, Jeanne, his son David Jr., and “The First Lady of Marco — Miss Dottie (Weiner,)” and chided “The pool is not decorated — I’m surprised Dottie!”

Although the complete list of both Home and Business Decorating Contest winners were published in the Marco Eagle as soon as the committee made them public, the 2007 house decorating winner was 160 Bermuda Rd., Residents: Linda and Quirico Wynns and Barbara Maikisch, and the plaque was presented by Dave Rice.

The 19 house decorating contest finalist plaques were presented by the judges team, while all the checks ($500, House winner; $100 each to house finalists and two businesses) were presented individually by premier sponsor LCEC representative Tricia Dorn and Don Schleicher, chief financial officer; and all the photos were presented by Karen and Bill Young. In addition, the best decorated shopping center award went to Shops of Olde Marco. The plaque was presented by Debbie and Martin Roddy to Center Reps Rick, Annie and Lauren Feinman, Chefs Express’ Marayann Downey and Kari Bone; Kay Dillon of Freckles; Robert Lowe and Jefferson Smith of Fagin’s Treasures.

Debbie Robby, who was standing close by during the slide show photos of the winners and finalists homes and businesses that concluded the event, surely spoke for everyone involved when she sighed, “It was a lot of work, it was a lot of fun – it’s good to give back to the community!”

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