Five-year deal to light up courthouse at Christmas

MAGNOLIA — Finding a suitable contractor to illuminate the Columbia County Courthouse each Christmas has been settled — at least for the next few years.

The Magnolia Advertising and Promotion board of commissioners approved a five-year deal with a locally owned business, Chance’s Sprinklers, to light the Magnolia landmark every Christmas season until 2021.

Over the years, several companies and groups — some local and some not — have taken on the sizable task of stringing lights on and around the courthouse during the Christmas holidays.

But, as the project grew, volunteer organizations lacked the manpower and resources to properly complete the task. For the past two years, Chance’s Sprinklers of Magnolia has handled the lighting work.

Ellie Baker, executive director of the Magnolia-Columbia County Chamber of Commerce, made the funding request on behalf of the local organization that oversees the courthouse Christmas lighting project.

During her presentation, she informed the board at a meeting last week that the proprietor of Chance’s Sprinklers, Chance Thornton of Magnolia, offered a bid to illuminate the courthouse this year for $16,300, or — if the board wanted — to enter a five-year deal between the two parties at a yearly cost of $14,500.

After some discussion, the board approved a motion to enter into the multiyear agreement at $14,500 to cover the annual lighting costs. Although board members did express some concern about entering into a long-term agreement, rather than the regular year-to-year plan, the cash savings and the business being locally owned helped to persuade them.

“We’ve done business with Chance for two years, and he’s done a great job,” said board Chairman Samantha Roberson.

“He’s very open to anything we’ve needed him to do with it, and I like the savings.”

Before Chance’s Sprinklers took over decorating the courthouse for Christmas in 2015, the job was handled by a Shreveport company at a cost of about $30,000 per year, according to Baker.

She said the Columbia County Courthouse will be featured in the Arkansas Trail of Holiday Lights in the future.