Belle Vernon man lights up park at Christmas
When Ed Stasko saw luminarias one Christmas Eve several years ago, he knew he had to try something similar in Belle Vernon, where he lives.
So Stasko, a former borough councilman, started putting 100 luminarias around J.E. “Ted” Kuhn Community Park on Christmas Eve. That was six years ago, and he has no plans to stop.
“It’s worth it to see the smiles on the kids’ faces,” said Stasko, 68.
Luminarias are essentially candles in a white paper bag. Anchored by two trowels of sand in each bag, the luminarias put out each Christmas Eve by Stasko and his family have a tea light candle inside and are visible in Speers, which sits across the Monongahela River from Belle Vernon.
“The people in Speers tell me it looks nice,” he said.
Stasko said it takes his family around 45 minutes to fill the bags with sand and place a candle in the center. He then positions the bags around the perimeter of the Main Street park and on its stairs. Once the bags are in place, Stasko, his wife, Denise, sons Ed and Brandon, and daughter, Renee Wheatley, will light the tea lights. All family members who help are required by Stasko to wear Santa hats when setting up the bags.
“They burn for four hours,” said Stasko, adding he has yet to have one catch on fire. And no one has tampered with the candles when they have been lit, he added.
This year Stasko, who foots the bill himself each year for the luminarias, said he plans to put 30 more bags around the park this year for a bigger effect.
“I do it because I like to hear people talk about it,” he said.
“I would rather do it this way than string lights. It says Christmas.”
Ted Kuhn Park also holds a special place in Stasko’s heart because it also has a memorial stone that sits in the center of the park. The monument recognizes borough residents who have served in the armed forces.
“I take care of the monument, put mulch around it, stuff like that,” said Stasko, who retired in 2008 after working at the Wheeling-Pittsburgh Monessen plant, the LTV Hazelwood coke plant and the Follansbee, West Virginia, and Allenport plants.
Stasko, a former Marine, was also responsible for getting the flags for the different military branches flown at the park. Plus, he places the pictures of borough residents who were in the service along Belle Vernon’s main roads.
While Stasko is a fan of Christmas, he also celebrates Easter in a public — albeit it different — way.
Four years ago, Stasko bought a white, life-size bunny suit. On Easter, he will don the suit and walk up and down Main Street. He never announces these appearances ahead of time so people and kids will be surprised.
“I walk up and down the streets waving at people,” he said. “I love it, and I am a little weird.”
But having fun and making people smile is important to Stasko, who has outlived his two brothers, one older, one younger.
“I feel like I am on borrowed time,” he said. “When I get up in the morning and put my legs on the ground, I thank the Lord for one more day.”