New Jersey town demands family pay $2,000 per day for holiday lights

A New Jersey man is being charged $2,000 a night by his hometown for his Christmas light display.

An Old Bridge, New Jersey resident is being handed a $2,000-a-night bill for his extravagant Christmas light display, and he is refusing to pay, reported TribLive.com on November 28, 2018.

Every year families across America put up Christmas lights in their front yard. Most are a discreet festoon of fairy lights or a modest wreath of lights, but some enthusiasts put up a display that would do a small town proud. Or maybe not.

70,000 LIGHTS TO CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS

Tom Apruzzi and his wife, Kris, have been putting up an ever growing light show at their home for the last 15 years, and this year the display includes over 70,000 lights synchronized to music.

But the Town's bill isn't for electricity...It's for security.

Christmas lights are a uniquely American tradition, and according to statistics, Americans use over 6.6 billion kilowatt hours of electricity every year during the holidays, the equivalent of the annual electricity consumption of El Salvador, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Nepal or Cambodia.

THE GROWING NIGHTLY AUDIENCE RAISES SECURITY CONCERNS

According to the town, the Apruzzi light show is so extravagant and spectacular that it has been gathering growing nightly crowds in the quiet residential area. The dozens of parked cars belonging to the gawkers are causing parking problems and raising security concerns.

CHARGING $2,000 A NIGHT FOR THE LIGHT SHOW

While the Apruzzi are delighted with the success of their efforts to light up their Town's life, authorities are now charging them $2,000 a night for a security detail which keeps the crowds under control and guarantees public safety.

STANDING ON HIS RIGHT TO SHINE

Apruzzi is refusing to pay the security bill and has accused authorities of infringing on his constitutional rights as an American citizen safeguarded by the First Amendment, which protects freedom of expression and religion.

Apruzzi has started a Go-Fund-Me page to raise money to keep up the display but has declared that even if he can't raise sufficient funds, he will not take down his Christmas decorations over what he characterized as “bureaucratic baloney.”

Christmas lights are a uniquely American tradition, and according to statistics, Americans use over 6.6 billion kilowatt hours of electricity every year during the holidays, the equivalent of the annual electricity consumption of El Salvador, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Nepal or Cambodia.

Read more on Twitter Amomama USA.

NEW JERSEY ADDRESSES WATER CONCERNS BY DISTRIBUTING FILTERS

Newark, New Jersy, is distributing water filters to more than 40,000 residents in an attempt to reduce the elevated lead levels in its drinking water.

Bloomfield, a neighboring town that buys water from Newark, will also be offering free water filters to its residents.

Analysis of the area's water has revealed that 16 out of every 61 homes show levels for lead contaminant exceeding those accepted by Federal guidelines.

"The township is definitely concerned with anything that affects public health and this is something that we're becoming more aware of. It's something that a lot of older townships are facing."

Dan Knitzer

The high levels of lead in the water are not caused by the Newark's water mains, but by the towns' antique, original lead plumbing and lead fixtures.

Lead builds up in the body can lead to brain damage, abdominal pain, headaches, irritability, memory problems, infertility, and tingling in the hands and feet.

Authorities are distributing water filters and working with residents to help replace the dangerous lead plumbing.