Lights restored downtown

Donnie Simpson, Manneco, Inc., works late Friday afternoon to repair the wiring for the Christmas lights on the north side of the Square, so they would be ready for the parade on Friday night.

By Steve Moyer

Nevada Daily Mail

The lights on the Square will shine this Christmas season despite earlier fears they wouldn't be lighted. Main Street Nevada president Mike Seitz said a benefactor had put the group in contact with Hoot Mann, president of Kansas City based Manneco, whose company will donate its services.

"It's the miracle of Main Street," Seitz said. "Someone who was able to take care of the situation put us in contact with Hoot Mann. The individual, who wants to stay anonymous, had done business with Mann and was able to help us out."

The lights will shine despite the fact there are many that need replacement.

"Even though there are lights that need to be replaced, we'll have them on through the rest of the season," Seitz said.

Seitz said that an earlier assessment about the wiring turned out to be wrong.

Parts of the wire were found on the ground and it was assumed age had caused the wire to become brittle and break, but that assumption turned out to be incorrect.

"After further inspection of the lights, it was found vandals had got up on the roof and cut some of the wires on the bank and Dress Code," Seitz said.

Originally Seitz was told the wire was reaching the end of its useful life but that information turned out to be wrong as well.

Carol Branham said she was told the wire should last at least 15 years and that it wasn't nearly that old yet.

The good news is tempered with some less than thrilling information -- there is still a continuing problem with funding for the lights, Main Street still needs to find money to replace burned out bulbs and maintain the wires.

"We're on a year-to-year basis," Seitz said. "We need to replace bulbs each year and that costs money. We're grateful for donations to help out, no matter what size."