Same-sex couple among finalists in <i>Today</i> holiday decorating contest (7247)

The Today show on NBC will broadcast the weather report on Friday, December 20, from the home that online voters have selected as the best decorated for the holidays, and one of the finalists is the home of same-sex couple Edward Bussiere and Jason Wade of Sunrise, Fla. According to the MSNBC Web site, where voting was recently completed, "Half a million lights are sparkling right now at Edward Bussiere and Jason Wade's home.... In addition to those lights, they've decorated 17 Christmas trees, run several trains, and created a couple of villages."

The couple, who decorate lavishly every year, also have a snow machine going each night. They say that they welcome some 10,000 visitors every holiday season and last year paid a $1,500 electric bill. "Edward and Jason also enjoy giving out toys to some of the children who come to see their holiday lights," the site reported. "It takes approximately three months' worth of labor from start to finish. They began decorating in the beginning of September, and it will take about a month and a half to take everything down and pack it away till next Christmas."

The other Today show holiday home decorating finalists are the Clot family of Miami and Richard Kloewer of Englewood, Colo.--the only finalist who might expect real snow to grace his elaborate decorations. The winner will be announced during the Today show on Wednesday, December 18, and the show's weather reporter, Al Roker, will broadcast from the winner's home two mornings later.

The MSNBC write-up about the contest can be seen at www.msnbc.com.