To create the Lighting of Malverne, it takes a village

Mark Elowson, Nick Lavrigata and Franklin Feliz polish up Santa's sleigh.

Sue Grieco

Mark Elowson and Greg Schmitt decorate the village in preparation of the Lighting of Malverne this coming weekend.

Sue Grieco

Mark Elowson and Nick Lavrigata check all bulbs on the Christmas decorations.

Sue Grieco

DPW workers picked up small mountains of leaves last week as part of its fall cleanup.

Rossana Weitekamp

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Transforming the village into a winter wonderland during the weeks before its annual Holiday Lighting is no easy feat this year for its Department of Public Works.

It’s not the 25 lighted snowflakes waiting to be hung on the street poles that present the biggest challenge, nor is it setting up 30 different holiday displays in the village’s parks, or polishing up the village’s huge Santa sleigh, or installing the village’s Christmas tree, menorah or decorating the police station and village hall.

What really has the DPW on its toes leading up to the holiday lighting this year are the leaves.

“One of the biggest things we do for the lighting is getting the parks clean,” said Mark Elowson, supervisor of the village’s Department of Public Works. “This time of the year the leaves are still falling, and you can’t put many decorations on the ground until you clean the park.”

Elowson, who has been with the DPW for several decades, said the trees seem to be holding onto their leaves later this year because of the drought the area experienced over the summer. “You would think they would drop their leaves longer when there’s a drought, but they actually hold onto them longer,” said Elowson, referring to some of the area’s maple trees. “We’re going to spend a good part of this week blowing leaves up and getting as much picked up so when the lighting comes it looks like the winter, not fall.” That effort will be followed up by sweeping the village’s roads and parks clean, he said.

While some DPW workers are assigned to clean-up, others check the holiday lights to insure they’re in working order, and the village’s holiday displays for the park. Last Monday, Elowson and his crew brought the Santa sleigh out of its 11 month-long slumber and began the job of polishing it up for the Lighting. “We store the Santa sleigh all year round,” said Elowson, who added that one of the fire department’s trucks pulls the sleigh through the Elf Parade, which precedes the lighting. In turn, the village offers the fire department an opportunity to use its sleigh for their own children’s Christmas party. “It’s sort of like a mutual agreement,” said Elowson.