• Home
  • News
  • Obituaries
  • Police & Fire
  • Sports
  • Education
  • Business
  • Real Estate
  • Advertise
  • Town
    • Westborough
    • Shrewsbury
    • Northborough
    • Marlborough
    • Hudson
    • Southborough
    • Grafton
  • Print Edition
Sign in
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Password recovery
Recover your password
Search
Monday, August 8, 2022
  • Events
    • Ongoing
  • Contact us
Sign in
Welcome! Log into your account
Forgot your password? Get help
Password recovery
Recover your password
A password will be e-mailed to you.
Community Advocate news and events Community Advocate
  • Shrewsbury
  • Westborough
  • Northborough
  • Southborough
  • Grafton
  • Marlborough/Hudson Edition
  • Home
  • News
  • Obituaries
  • Police & Fire
  • Sports
  • Education
  • Business
  • Real Estate
  • Advertise
  • Town
    • Westborough
    • Shrewsbury
    • Northborough
    • Marlborough
    • Hudson
    • Southborough
    • Grafton
  • Print Edition
Gillespie Real Estate Agent
How can the Community Advocate help you promote your business?
Print Ads
Web Ads
Digital Marketing
Home Byline Stories - News The holiday spirit shines – brightly – in Southborough neighborhood
  • Byline Stories - News
  • People and Places
  • Southborough

The holiday spirit shines – brightly – in Southborough neighborhood

By
Community Advocate
-
December 18, 2019
2139
Facebook
Twitter
Email

    By Bonnie Adams, Managing Editor

    Southborough – Growing up in Somerville, John Mansfield’s family always decorated the outside of their house for Christmas. So when he and his wife Alicia moved to Southborough five years ago, he knew he wanted to continue that tradition. And he has…and then some. Although it’s not quite on the level – yet – to that of the display created by iconic movie character, Clark Griswold in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Mansfield has clearly gotten into the spirit, adorning his 11 Pine Hill Road home with thousands of Christmas lights that he has painstakingly put up.

    Nearly every inch of the front of his home is lit in an array of colored lights. Holiday figures also dot the front yard. Looking at his display, he can’t help but be disappointed, he said, that he didn’t get to a few of the things he wanted, due to the bad weather in November.

    No one viewing the display would notice that though, because they would be too dazzled by the awe-inspiring work that he has done.

    The display also is fun for Mansfield’s little helpers, his children, Olivia, 7 and Jack, 4, who delight, he said, in living in a Christmas wonderland that also includes many indoor decorations as well.

    Mansfield has also inspired several of his neighbors.

    Down the street, the Kerwin family – John (“a good guy in spite of being a Baltimore Ravens fan,” Mansfield laughed), his wife Ashley, and their kids Sophia and Tyler), have also lit up their house. Next door to the Mansfields, Joe Shay (with the approval of his two-year-old son, Joey)  has displayed, thanks to friend Kevin Meehan, a number of large scenic boxes with life sized holiday characters. Shay is also using his display as a way to raise monies for Pathways to Peace Uganda, a nonprofit started by his daughter, Erica. The organization’s mission is dedicated to the reintegration of former child soldiers returning from the Lord’s Resistance Army in Uganda.

    The families invite all to visit their neighborhood and enjoy their displays. Mansfield also issued a challenge to his fellow Southborough residents.

    “I would love for someone to beat me at this next year,” he said. “Bring it on!”

    John Mansfield’s childhood home in Somerville.

    • TAGS
    • Bonnie Adams
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Email
      Previous articleShrewsbury selectmen amend agreement on Edgemere Drive-In redevelopment project
      Next articlePhyllis J. Dubois, 91, of Grafton
      Community Advocate

      RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

      Southborough

      Southborough Senior Center billiards team seeks players

      Featured News

      Storm leads to downed wires, fire in Southborough

      Northborough/Southborough Newsletter

      Southborough seeks Community Center Exploratory Committee members

      Featured News

      Two injured in crash on Rt. 9 in Southborough

      Featured News

      Survey seeks information on local parent opinions on COVID-19 vaccination

      Featured News

      UPDATE: Heat advisories in place as temperatures climb across region

      Follow Us

      Sign Up For Our Newsletter


      RECOMMENDED VIDEOS

      Obituaries

      Paul G. Skerry, 68, of Shrewsbury

      Community Advocate - August 8, 2022
      0
      Obituaries

      Richard Z. Desmarais, 78, of Marlborough

      Community Advocate - August 8, 2022
      0
      Obituaries

      Beverly A. Akerson, 84, of Shrewsbury

      Community Advocate - August 8, 2022
      0
      Obituaries

      Robert J. Donoghue, 86, of Shrewsbury

      Community Advocate - August 8, 2022
      0

      POPULAR

      Paul G. Skerry, 68, of Shrewsbury

      August 8, 2022
      Richard Z. Desmarais

      Richard Z. Desmarais, 78, of Marlborough

      August 8, 2022
      Beverly A. Akerson

      Beverly A. Akerson, 84, of Shrewsbury

      August 8, 2022
      Robert J. Donoghue

      Robert J. Donoghue, 86, of Shrewsbury

      August 8, 2022
      Thomas E. Blackburn

      Thomas E. Blackburn, 88, formerly of Grafton

      August 8, 2022
      community advocate logo
      ABOUT US

      The Community Advocate is an independently owned newspaper with a legacy of over 40 years serving the communities of Westborough, Hudson, Marlborough, Northborough, Shrewsbury, Southborough and Grafton. It is also the number-one circulated paper in those communities. We cover a wide variety of breaking news, municipal issues, human interest features and sports stories.

      For Advertising Inquiries:
      [email protected]

      For editorial inquiries:
      [email protected]

      Contact us: [email protected]
      FOLLOW US
      • Events
        • Ongoing
      • Contact us
      © Community Advocate. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy