Seward Rotary Club’s Annual Holiday Home Lighting Awards Announced

The Vinny Bittinger Family Wins The Top Awards for 2018

By Kolterman, Clark on December 11, 2018

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The annual Seward Rotary Home Holiday Outdoor Lighting Contest was held Sunday evening, December 8, 2018.  The holiday outdoor lighting and decorated homes in the Greater Seward Area were judged by a group from the Seward Rotary Club and the Seward High Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA).

“We really had a hard time trying to decide,” stated project chairman Cordell Vrbka with the SHS FBLA.  Rotarian Clark Kolterman observed: “There were so many great looking homes this year, both in Seward and in the surrounding area-we really appreciate all the work everyone did to make Seward a real Christmas wonderland!  Thanks Seward-everyone wins and is a winner this year!”

The following homes and families are recognized and thanked for their outstanding efforts to create a festive atmosphere for the 2018 Seward holidays.  Winners were selected by nominations from phone in calls or emails by family, neighbors and friends to the Seward Rotary Club and SHS FBLA and include… 

The “Grand Prize-Best Overall” Award-Voted #1 for 2018 –The Vinny Bittinger Family at 13240 West Bluff Road-very East of Seward!  A must see and well worth the drive! The exhibit reminded the judges of the former light display at Centennial Park in Seward-“Cradick’s Country Christmas!”

The Judge’s Choice –The David and Michelle Dam Family, 1511 Ridge Run 

The “Elf’s Choice” (People’s Choice) Award-The Tom Reif Family, 105 Wildwood Road (Lights flash to the music!—91.7 FM)

The “Santa’s Choice” Award-- The “Mayor’s” Award- The Jerry and Tracy Rumery Family, 1540 North 1^stStreet (Be sure to see both their front lights on First and their back lights on Columbia Avenue!).

The “Rotary Club President’s” Award- The Tony and Karen Sabatka Family, 212 Hickory 

The “Historic Victorian” Award- The Kurth and Jessica Brashear Family, 111 Seward Street

The “Christmas Comet” Award, The Mike Demuth Family, 1640 Edgewood Lane.

The “Holiday’s Finest” Award, The Ron Schultz Family, 1442 North Columbia Avenue

The “Christmas Message Award” Best Homemade Display-”-The Jerry Krutsinger Family, 154 Struthers

The “True Holiday Home” Award-Teresa Dredge Family, 1580 North 1^stStreet

The “Picture Perfect” Award- The Michael T. Goldsmith Family, 1610 North 2^nd

The “Wurst” Christmas Display-The Phil Wurst Family-2065 North Columbia Avenue

The “Best Wreath Award” Award—Tie-- Greg Zabka Family, Karol Kay and Brad Bowen Family, 1269 

Ridge Run (nice twin Christmas trees at Bowens-His and Hers?!)

The “First Noel Award,” The Greg Austin Family-1747 Edgewood Lane

The “Christmas Spirit” Award-The Bill Sleight Family, 2221 Hawthorne Avenue

The “Peace on Earth” Award, The Bob Urban Family, 1717 Eastridge Avenue

The “Best Lighted Tree Award-The Brian Friedrich Family- Karol Kay Blvd 

“The Blue Christmas Award” Outstanding “Blue” Spruce-The Nancy Elwell Family, Bek Avenue

The “Meaning of Christmas Display-Happy Birthday Jesus!”Award - The Terry Kamprath Family, 938 Cherry Lane

The “Christmas Joy” Award- The Sue Wickersham Family, 906 North 3^rdStreet

“A Christmas Wow!” The David Konopik Family, 637 South Columbia, 

“ A Real Victorian Christmas!” The Dean Roll Family, 422 Hillcrest Avenue, 

The “Family Spirit” Award-The Jeff Bohning Family, 1406 North 2^nd

The “Snow Family” Award-The Kevin Fisher Family, 232 North 5^thStreet

The “Home for the Holidays” Award-The Dale Grimes Family, 926 Cherry Lane

The “Snowflake”Award-The George Wignall Family, 105 Struther’s Place

The “Best Decorated Clubhouse” Award-Abby Wignall and her Family, 139 Cedar Avenue

The “Hanging of the Christmas Greens” Award- The Jim Placke Family, 211 Struther’s Place

The “Christmas Castle” Award-The Matt Stryson Family, 1039 North Fifth Street

The “Christmas Cornhusker” Award - Josh Fields Family, East Pinewood Avenue-Red and White Lights Only!

The “Silver Christmas” Award-The Cory Mueller Family, 238 South 2^ndStreet

The “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” Award-The Dennis Otte Family, 1650 Meadow Lane

The “Candy Cane House” Award-The Brent Royuk Family, 142 Seward Street

The “Best Decorated Deck” Award-The Joel Navis Family, 1077 Ridge Run

The “Storybook Christmas” Award- The Marv Siefert Family, 1466 Karol Kay Blvd.

The “Christmas Assortment” (with music!) Award-The Jeremy Borgmann Family, 1752 Karol Kay

The “Christmas Classic” Award-The Steve Steinauer Family, 445 N. 2^ndStreet

The “Country Christmas” Award-The Arnt Family / Radiant Heating, 1067 280^th-South Hwy 15-South of Seward

The “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas” Award-Lillian Skolnik and April Hoffbauer Families-2612 East Seward Road

The “Holly Christmas” Award- The Jerry Kremer Family-2105 North First Street-(Check out the Palm Trees!).

“The Christmas Message”-The Elizabeth Kozisek Family, 1750 Meadowlane

“The Christmas Twinkle Award”- The Scott Bruick Family, 1101 North 5^thStreet

“Home For Christmas” award-The Chuck Matzke Family, 15 Seward Street-on Matzke Corner!

“The Christmas is for the Family” award-The Chuck Kotera Family, 1812 North First

 “Christmas is the Reason” Award (Tie) to The Steve Borer Family, 1955 Rainbow Avenue and Courtney Meyer Family, Edgewood Lane.

The “Christmas Angel” Award-The Bob Daniels Family, 141 East Roberts

The “Is It Christmas Yet?” Award-The Jim Wogahn Family, 1449 Kolterman Street. 

The “Christmas WOW Award!”-The John Owens Family, Ridge Run at 212 Goldenrod Lane.

Best Decorated/Lighted “Half a House” Award-Longest Icicles Award /Duplex-Nate Buss Family, 1717 Plainview Avenue

Best Happy in the Country Home Award, Robert and Becky Reisdorff Family, 250 Goldenrod.

Best Christmas Family Award- The Keith Gardinere Family, 214 E. Roberts Street

The Dancing Christmas Award-The Gerald Homp Family-1210 Eastridge Drive

The “Christmas Everywhere” Award-The Jon Marroquin Family-202 Knotty Pine (North Seward)

The “I Love Christmas” Award-The Rob Pelster Family-1686 Ridge Run Road

The “Beautiful Holiday” Award-The Jeff Boaz Family-917 Bradford Street

The “Christmas Fun” Award-The Jason Dillion Family-1320 River Street

The “Happy Holidays” Award-The James Sleight Family, 1407 N. 1^stStreet

The “Spirit of Christmas” Award-The Mark Nordmeyer Family-244 E. Northern Heights

“Christmas Mood” Award-Cheryl Gerdes Family, 1527 Eastridge 

The “Christmas Fun” Award-Culp Corner-Sharon and Jerry Culp, 132 N. 3^rdand Jeff Neiharedt Family, 146 N 3^rd

“The Reason for Christmas Award”-The Joe Huber Family, 1444 North First Street, 

“Happy Holidays Award” The Lane Hans Family, 2059 North Columbia, 

“A Charlie Brown Christmas”-The Jamie Axthlem Family, 119 North Second Street, 

“A Pop Up Christmas”-The Jon Kruse Family, 303 Northern Heights, 

 Honorable Mention Awards were presented to homes including….

         The Ben Earnest Family, 1710 Edgewood Lane

         The Gerry Meyer Family, 1315 Eastridge Avenue

         The Pat Piskorski Family, 1416 Eastridge Avenue

         The Van Vahle Family, 700 Pinewood Avenue

The Gil Daenzer Family, 540 East Hillcrest Avenue

         The Alan Van Velson Family-Eastridge Avenue

The Rosie Westerhoff Family, 1216 Sunrise Avenue

The Jeff Volzke Family, 1226 North First Street

         The Clark Koehler Family, 1050 North 5^thStreet

         The Don Kolterman Family, 1059 Plainview Avenue

         The Duanne Miner Family, 2030 Rainbow Avenue

         The Gary Stutzman Family, 414 South Third Street

         The Dan Janak Family, 318 East Roberts Street

         The Charlie Haase Family, 861 Bradford Street

         The Richard Novak Family, 901 Bradford Street

         The Bill Pohlman Family, 750 Bader Avenue

The Gerry Eikmeyer Family, 525 North Columbia Avenue

         The Jim Eitel Family, 2005 Rainbow Avenue

         The Don Suhr Family, 1431 Crestwood Drive

         The Jim Woghan Family, 1449 Kolterman Street,

The contest was judged by members of the Seward Rotary Club and the SHS Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA). Judges chair for the Rotary Club was Alan Baldwin, assisted by Clark Kolterman, Jon and Bonnie Kruse. Judges chairmen for the SHS FBLA was Cordell Vrbka, assisted by Nathan Miller and Gracen Sommerer.  Questions can be directed to Alan Baldwin or Cordell Vrbka-project co-chairmen.  It was noted by the judges that because of the recent beautiful weather, there were many beautiful home lighted displays and these names and addresses are only a few of the wonderful light displays in Seward that were nominated to the committee by families, friends and Rotarians.

While businesses were not judged, special recognition must be given to East Hill Motel and Suites, Blue River Jewelry, Merle’s Flower Shop, Allure Fashions, Mueri Drug, Chapter’s Book’s and Gifts, the Flower Mill, Blue Valley Community Action, Liberty House, Smile Dental, Volzke Funeral Home, Zabka Funeral Home, Concordia University (Giant Nativity Scene), Red Path Gallery, CASA Office and the Rumery Lawn Service for their holiday window displays and outdoor decorations.  Many of the local churches also have beautiful, life size nativity scenes on their lawns. The downtown Seward business area is aglow with holiday lights and creates a festive atmosphere for all who see it!  A must see is also the beautiful tree and decorations inside and out at the local Seward Civic Center.  They have a large, beautiful tree at 6^thand Bradford Avenue.