Guerrilla decorators drape Water Street in light

Armed with solar-powered Christmas lights, ladders, cider and a staple gun, a small group of guerrilla decorators spread out across Water Street Thursday night, leaving light and holiday spirit in their wake.
They hit a tree stump near the corner of Company Street. A chain link fence behind the Tourister plant was lit up. A few trees — those that won’t be cut down this week by town-hired crews — received strategic strands. And a wooden fence just north of the old Wooden Midshipman was also tagged.
“Operation Light up Water Street” was organized by Discover Warren’s Katie Dickson, Warren Town Council member Keri Cronin and a few friends. Ms. Cronin said she and others had heard from business and homeowners along Water Street unhappy about the lack of Christmas cheer on Water Street this year. While the street is usually lit from one end to the other, lights are lacking as Warren prepares — and as of Thursday, had started — to cut down trees to make way for a streetscape renovation project.
“We thought, ‘Why not do something about it?’” Ms. Cronin said, sitting at the bar at the Bywater restaurant before the guerrilla effort began.
Ms. Dickson started soliciting for monetary donations early this week and brought in about $300, all of which went toward solar-powered lights.
At about 4:30 p.m. Thursday, volunteers showed up to help hang them. Apart from Ms. Dickson and her husband Brian O’Donnell, there was her mom Karen Dickson, artist Adam Tracy, school teacher and Collaborative 02885 partner Jeff Danielian and his son Cooper, Todd Moen of SweetTrade, and a few others.
One of the first stops was the old bike shop just north of State Street. Mr. Tracy had already been at work there, painting large murals depicting scenes from the classic “A Christmas Story.” One panel showed Jean Shephard laughing, one the old man’s “major award,” and a third depicted Ralphie aiming his Red Ryder BB gun. The volunteers draped the front of the building in twinkling white lights, then headed north.
By 6 p.m., they’d made it to the end of Water Street. A few of the lights were dim as they hadn’t yet been fully charged by the sun. But by the time Warren Wonderland arrives Friday evening, they should be shining bright.