Custodian Builds Mini Winter Wonderland In Weymouth School

WEYMOUTH (CBS) -- Every year, Doug Bowen adds a new piece to his miniature winter wonderland, a labor of love that he shares with the students at Hamilton Elementary School.

"People say it's magical, that's what I've been told," Bowen told WBZ NewsRadio 1030.

Bowen, the head custodian at the school, has been putting the display together in the lobby for the past seven years. He comes in by himself the Saturday during Thanksgiving break and sets up the elaborate villages with buildings made of wood, ceramic, and even LEGOs. This year, he's added a hot air balloon.

"There's so much, you could look at it four or five times and not see everything that's on there," said Bowen.

While the kids love it, he also builds the display to remember his late father, who used to own the electric train at the center of it all, as well as some of the other pieces. Because of that, there's some added family history to the cheerful display.

"It's kind of nice to put it out every year, it makes you think of them," said Bowen.

WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Karen Twomey reports