By reporter Steven Smalley
You can see it from Ballard, Phinney Ridge, and from airplanes on the way to a landing. For 12 years, Magnolia resident?Kenny Down has erected a?giant lighted?peace symbol on his roof?he calls a Christmas ornament.
?It is peace on Earth, goodwill towards man. The idea here is we can be peaceful inside of ourselves,? he says. ?It?s a Christmas ornament, absolutely.?
This year Down has gone all the way. At a cost his wife Shannon says is over a thousand dollars, Down drafted some friends to fabricate a 12-foot aluminum?symbol-of-another-era complete with industrial LED lights visible from space, it seems. He says it’s all for the love of his wife.
?To us it?s about the season, the holidays, and family,? Down says.
You might think the neighbors would complain, but no.
?We?ve never had a single response that hasn?t been just incredibly positive. People down at the locks ask about it. They say, ?When is the peace sign going up??? Down reveals. ?I think we?re adding something really nice to the neighborhood.?
If one described to you a person?with a glowing giant?peace sign on their roof, you might imagine a former member of the?counterculture with the inability to let go. You would be wrong. Husband, father, and business owner, Down just likes the idea of peace, especially at Christmas.
?Now I?ve been informed by my family, it can?t get any bigger or any brighter,? he confesses.
The best vantage point to view Down?s salute-to-peace is after dark from the federal locks. Look south and up the hill. Can?t miss it.