Melanie Mensch/DN
A SANTA CLAUS ornament decorates the Christmas tree in the Alpha Phi Sorority house, llie fresh
men members traditionally decorate the house for the holidays.
Lighting the way
Popular Star Tran tours highlight city's holiday lights
By Jamie Suhr
Staff writer
Lights, Christmas carols and histor
ical facts are just some of the things that
can be found on the Lincoln Star Tran
Holiday Light Tour.
Star Tran buses have been taking
Lincolnites across the city showing off
the hot spots for Christmas lights for six
years, said Larry Worth, transit manag
er at Star Tran.
And for the past six years, the light
tour has sold out.
The tour costs $2 per person, but
originally the admission was a canned
food donation. The tour is nonprofit.
Mike Weston, operations superin
tendent for Star Tran, said he and other
workers at Star Tran drive around the
city looking for good lights.
“We do what we can to make it bet
ter for folks,” Weston said. “We drive
the streets to see the best streets that can
accommodate the 22 buses and incor
porate diem into routes.”
The routes are changed every year
m order to improve die tour, Worth said.
Weston said many drivers partici
pate in the tour because they enjoy the
time spent with die tourists.
“We get sing-alongs going,” he
said. “It can be a lot of fun. When we
get people singing, we really can get
into it.”
Bob Stewart, a driver for Star Tran,
encourages people on the tour to sing.
He said singing helps people enjoy
themselves.
“The atmosphere achieved is joy
ous, particularly if you get a group that
comes together,” Stewart said.
Six years ago, Stewart came up
with the idea and presented it to Evelyn
Haines, president of the citizens’ trans
portation coalition.
“Her efforts got it done,” Stewart
said.
Stewart said his idea came from an
old family tradition.
“My dad would take us kids around,
and I thought people would like it,” he
said. “My dad never took us in a bus
though.”
Each year, Stewart said, something
special always stands out
“One year, a lady sang ‘Oh
Christmas Tree’ in German,” he said.
“It was really enjoyable.”
Ed Zimmer narrates for the light
tour. Zimmer, the city’s historic preser
vation planner for the Lincoln Planning
Department, said he includes little
known historical facts about the areas
that die tour drives through.
“We talk about when neighbor
hoods were developed and how the
neighborhoods’ names came around,”
Zimmer said.
This year’s dates for the tour are
Dec. 8, 10,15,17 and 21. Tickets went
on sale Nov. 15. Worth said the tour
lasts for about 1 lA hours.
i-i
'JoshWolfe/DN
FESTIVE lights already line the streets of Havelock area in northeast
Lincoln.
^ikDS Harris
Together, We're Making Lives Better
621 Rose Street, Lincoln
www.mdsharris.com/rcrt/recruit.htm
flppointment
Certificate
f To: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Students
Prom:_University Health Center_
Holiday Hours:
December 20-23 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
December 24 - January 2 closed
January 3-7 '' 8 a.m. -3 D.m.
January 8 Hesume regular schedule
* Call 472-5000for an appointment.