Residents angry over ban on ******* lights
By Joe Adler
[email protected]
PORTSMOUTH - It takes at least "a few days" for ******ine Schule to adorn her Wamesit Place apartment with what she characterizes as some much-needed ********* cheer.
That cheer comes in the form of not only presents, but also ample ********* lights on outside windows on the first and second floors. This year, she has lighted decorations of a snowflake, a candy cane and an angel, not to mention the wired wreath hanging outside her front door.
The electric ornaments are a staple for some residents of the public housing complex managed by the Portsmouth Housing Authority. There have even been some eager lighters who have won awards from the city for their displays.
But this year, the Portsmouth Housing Authority is cracking down on what officials deem an unsafe ******* tradition. Similar to policies at other developments in past years, residents of Wamesit Place with displays that are considered a fire hazard have received letters telling them to pull the plug.
Schule, a 34-year-old single mother of three, was lucky enough not to get the warning. But if told to remove her lights, she says she wouldn’t even think of flipping the switch.
"I would have left them up. They’re not going to ruin my *******," said Schule, who is out of work.
"There’s no way. It’s bad enough that I have to live in this ****** neighborhood as it is. I just don’t think it would be right for them to take away the ********* stuff. People love to decorate. Don’t make it miserable for us."
Portsmouth Housing Authority Director George Robinson declined to comment about the PHA’s policy regarding ********* lights, saying the warnings at Wamesit Place must have been handed out by another housing authority official because he hadn’t heard about it.
He did allude to some light displays being a safety risk.
"I would guess that it would be for safety purposes," said Anita Freedman, who sits on the PHA Board of Commissioners. "I don’t know anything about it right now so I can’t comment either."
The residents who did receive letters, including the family that also received an honorable mention in the city’s 2002 ******* Decorating Contest, did not want to comment for this story nor did they want their names used. They did, however, express some outrage that such safety precautions were quashing their ********* plans.
One woman, who asked not to be identified, said after receiving the letter she contacted the Fire Department to ask about the risk of hanging her lights. The officials she spoke with responded that the Fire Department does not mandate those types of rules and that it is the decision of the housing authority, the woman said.
"It’s not like we have it up all year long or anything," Schule said. "It’s only just for a month.
"I can’t stand it here. But in the meantime, while I’m here, at least I want to be able to do some things that I want to do. I just don’t think it’s fair for them to take it away from us like that."
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