Fresh Pond Road may be a little more festive this coming holiday season thanks to a Ridgewood resident.
Come November and December, many commercial strips throughout the neighborhoods will be adorned with holiday lighting, creating a more inviting and cheerful atmosphere for residents, visitors and shoppers. Anne Marie Kostner, a resident of Ridgewood, wants to bring the same jovial feeling to Fresh Pond Road.
“They will bring people into the neighborhood to buy their gifts,” Kostner said of the holiday lights. “There is no festivity on Fresh Pond Road at all anymore. When you have Christmas lights all will benefit.”
Kostner has partnered up with Ridgewood Office Products Center to try and bring holiday lighting back to Fresh Pond Road.
“She offered to volunteer her time and effort,” said Craig Addeo, vice president of Ridgewood Office Products Center. “In the past we had holiday lights on Fresh Pond Road for many years, but we haven’t had them in last few years due to a lack of participation and the amount of work that goes into organizing it. Anne Marie is going to be the community representative for the Fresh Pond Road Holiday Light Committee.”
The group is looking to have the lights installed on Fresh Pond Road between Myrtle and Metropolitan avenues, with the possibility of extending the boundaries if there is enough interest further down Fresh Pond.
The price for companies to participate in getting the holiday lighting is approximately $200, which will go toward hiring a lighting company to come and install the lights, which Kostner hopes to have up before Thanksgiving.
Some of the stores and organizations that have already agreed to participate include Ridgewood Office Products Center, Valentino Food Market, Gemelli Jewelers, Crifasi Real Estate, Rosa’s Pizzeria, Corato I Pizza, Paradise Pets, Price Choice supermarket and the Farmers Oval Civic Association. Many others are in the process of making their donations, Addeo said.
“We want to create the holiday spirit on Fresh Pond Road,” he added. “We want the community to know we appreciate their business and we are a good, strong community. We want the public to know that our area is just as customer-oriented and appreciative as all the other shopping areas.”
Kostner is looking to collect the money in September in order to get the lights ready to be installed in November, just in time for the holiday season. And if this year has a good enough turnout, holiday lights on Fresh Pond Road could again become an annual thing.
For more information on how to participate, contact Kostner at 718-386-1657 or Addeo at c.addeoropc [@] aol.com.
