"Phenomenal" and "impressive" were two of the words used to describe the Christmas light display at the home of Charles "Bud" Hannum Jr., who is the 2022 residential winner of "Deck the Brook," a holiday decorating contest presented annually by the Honey Brook Community Partnership (HBCP).

Judging took place on Dec. 21 at residences and businesses that had registered for the contest. The panel of judges included HBCP members Cathie Thompson, director of business development at Hickory House Nursing Home; Kristi Deischer-Eddy, Honey Brook Township administrator; Jen Simmet, senior branch manager at M&T Bank; and Dawn Schaffer, a member of the Honey Brook Library board of directors.

"(The winner) had to stand out and catch your eye. (The Hannum) place was phenomenal," said Schaffer. "He has been trying to win for years and this is the first year that he won, and he was so happy."

Schaffer also announced that Ford's Notary, 3041 Horseshoe Pike, Honey Brook, was the business winner of the contest and the best door prize was awarded to Honey Brook resident Dan Brooks, whose home earned an honorable mention last year.

Hannum's impressive display features lights that are synchronized to holiday music. "I have a box outside that plays music and all the lights go to different outlets," he explained. "They turn on and turn off all (in time) to the music."

The home features multicolored lights placed on trees and bushes and even the roof, as well as lighted reindeer, Christmas trees, Christmas packages and candy canes. "The blue/purple lights are new this year," Hannum noted.

Hannum has been decorating his home with synchronized lights and music since 2007. "I start (putting up the lights) the day after Thanksgiving and have all of them up by Dec. 1," he said, noting that this is the fifth time he has entered the HBCP contest. "One year it was raining and a breaker tripped and they called me to turn on the lights but I wasn't home. Last year, they had people vote and I am on a dead-end street at the end of a dead-end road and they probably (couldn't find it)."

A video of the display set to music can be found at http://www.facebook.com/bud.hannum. "A still photo doesn't do it justice," Hannum said.

For more information about the contest and the winners, visit http://www.hbpartnership.org.