Luminary Sand has been placed at the end of Joshua Davis Court for anyone to use. Donation was from David Mintz of Yard Enhancement Services LLC.

Hello neighbors and hope you are already starting to enjoy all the Holiday lights throughout our neighborhood!

On 17 December, thanks to a donation from David Mintz, Yard Enhancement Services LLC (YES), we have Luminary Sand placed in the Joshua Davis Court cul de sac.
All in our community are welcome to collect what they need for luminaries; usually about 2 cups of sand needed per luminary.

While families can have luminaries out when they want, we are asking that everyone who can place and light the luminaries on 24 December between 5:30 and 6:00 pm. This should allow for at least several hours of enjoyment. If you will not be home them and still want to participate, please talk with your neighbors and see if they might light / turn on for you.

Following are some simple steps on making luminaries; the web has many other ideas.

1. Bags should be folded at least 1” at the top to eliminate flapping / reinforce the bag..

2. Recommend bags should be placed anywhere from 3′ to 5′ apart.

3. Can use votive candles, tea light candles, or LED / battery-operated tea lights.

4. You should use about 2 inches of sand in each bag (1-2 cups). If you use a votive candle recommend you place in small plastic cup.

5. Instead of having each person guess how much sand to put into each bag, make one “master” example of a complete luminaria to serve as the standard measurement of sand. Next, pour this sand into a large plastic cup (like a stadium cup you get at ballgames) and mark the height of the sand around the outside of the cup with a Sharpie or a magic marker, along the circumference. With a pair of sharp kitchen shears or scissors, cut along the line you just drew. Now you have the perfect “sand measurer” to use when putting sand in the luminary bags.

6. Recommend you use grill lighters to light your luminaria. The long neck makes it easier to light the candle inside the bag or cup; plus, there’s less likelihood of burning your fingers and you won’t have to bend down so much. Be sure to raise the wick on each candle prior to lighting.

7. Lastly, consider what the weather will be doing on the night of luminaria project. If rain is forecast and you are using paper bags, it can make for a messy cleanup the next day. Consider using plastic luminary cups instead… they can be used again.

Some Samples.

If you use tea light candles, they come in their own “cup holder” so do not need another cup.