Community effort to light up Caldwell Park

It’s not easy to turn a dark park into a winter wonderland, but with the help of friendly neighbors, the Caldwell Park in Pocatello is a little brighter.

“It’s because the neighbors got together, and they wanted a better holiday light display at Caldwell Park, which we kind of consider to be our park,” said Trissa Cameron, of the College Neighborhood Association.

The neighborhood association has been decorating the park for the last three years.

“It’s really nice because we walk our dogs around this neighborhood and it’s always fun to come see all the lights. It gives it a nice, festive feel to the neighborhood,” said Matt Alexander, co-president of the association.

The twinkly lights are paid for through private donations and a $10,000 grant from Neighborworks.

About 30 volunteers from the neighborhood helped string the lights on Saturday morning.

“We get residents to come in and wrap the trees, we do it a little more densely than you see in other parks. We go from the ground to as high as we can reach with ladders, and then the city comes in later, and they fill in the rest,” Cameron said.

But this project isn’t just to brighten the winter nights, it also brings a community together.

“This is one of those opportunities where we’re not only serving our community, but we’re also connecting and getting to know each other, and that makes a stronger neighborhood, too,” Cameron said.

“It’s just a nice bonding experience, you get to see some of your neighbors that you may not normally get to interact with,” Alexander said.