Elaborate L.I. Christmas Display Will Go Dark This Year

This Christmas, North Babylon's elaborate Christmas display at the Spadafora family's house on Kime Avenue isn't happening because it's gotten too expensive. Andrew Spadafora, who raised about $181,000 from onlookers of his million-light display (donated to a children's hospital), told Newsday, "Last year it cost me $41,000 to put Christmas together. We're still paying off last year's bills. After 20 years this thing has gotten bigger than Jones Beach." He's not kidding: Newsday counts "a 40-foot train, a manger with 100 sheep and a tree composed of 10,000 light bulbs," a total of 900 pieces, 30+ security cameras and a set-up time of 15 weeks (a crew of six, plus Spadafora). Spadafora also says he spent $175,000 on coloring books, candy canes, and toys to give to young onlookers, "Every year I get bigger and bigger and bigger and bigger, so what am I going to do, go backward?" You can see photographs of the "Christmas House" here—it's really amazing.