02 Dec 2024 Couple of the Month: Dennis and Luveta Moore
HER STORY:
I am quiet but very observant. I love to make sure everyone is included and serve others. I have a heart for God and family, and those are the things that drive me daily.
native of: Faulkner County
CHILDREN: We have Doneshia Boyd (Derrick) and Adrian Moore (Meadow).
Education: Graduate from Morrilton High School and attended the University of Central Arkansas.
Employment: I have worked at Snap-On for 37 years. I started in data entry, then was an administrative assistant/planner, and now I am a supervisor.
What do you love about living
in Central Arkansas? I love how Central Arkansas has grown since I planted roots here in 1985. There is a sense of community, and I’ve connected with so many people over the years. Conway is simply home.
What is your family’s favorite
holiday tradition? Our annual light show in the Centennial Valley neighborhood kicks off the holiday season for us. We also enjoy our family Christmas breakfast, where we give thanks, open gifts and enjoy time together.
Church activities: Very involved with my church, True Holiness Saints Center. I also lead our Greeter Ministry, where we welcome members and guests to our beautiful church family and experience.
special interests: Spending time with my granddaughters: Skylen (11), Demi (3) and Shiloh (7 months), supporting my husband’s business, K9 Corps of Conway, and spending time with my beautiful family.
HIS STORY:
I am an outgoing person who loves sports and training dogs.
native of: Pulaski County
Education: Graduate of Joe. T. Robinson High, the University of Central Arkansas and the Arkansas Law Enforcement Academy.
employment: I retired as a Little Rock Police Sergeant after 36 years of service. I worked as a training officer in the academy, detective in several divisions, and the Narcotics Division. I currently work part-time for the department as a cold case homicide detective.
What is the key to a
successful marriage? Being willing to listen to your spouse and never stop dating her.
honors you’re especially
proud of: I was named Officer of the Month on two occasions and Supervisor of the Year for the police department in 2018.
Community activities: I serve on the Conway Civil Service Commission, and I’m a proud member of True Holiness Saints Center.
What do you look forward to
this Christmas season? Spending time with family and grandchildren and watching their eyes light up as they watch our Christmas lights show.
special interests: Training dogs at my business, K9 Corps of Conway, and competing with my dog Django in Protection Sports Association (PSA).
Their STORY:
By Lori Dunn
Dennis and LuVeta Moore share a love of the Christmas season. They enjoy putting on the annual holiday light show at their home but also see it as giving a gift to their entire community.
“We are big Christmas people. We both grew up in big families who loved Christmas,” Dennis said. “We really enjoy doing it and seeing the kids come by every year.”
The Moores’ annual light show on Lost Canyon Drive has won the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce Light Up Conway Decorating Contest for three years in a row. They are excited to share this year’s light show with their friends, neighbors and the thousands of people who take a tour of lights each holiday season.
The couple has created the light show at their home for about four years. Prior to that, they always hung Christmas lights, but their decorating turned more elaborate when they learned how to coordinate the lights on their home with music over car radios. “It’s just grown to where we are now,” he said.
He joined a group called Arkansas Light Enthusiasts and learned more about how a light show can come together. “Each year, you always have glitches and some snags to work through,” Dennis said. “All of the different pieces have to ‘talk to each other’ to make the entire show a success.”
Hendricks House of Lights in Ward (Lonoke County) helps with the lighting. Dennis estimates between 12,000 to 14,000 lights are used. The show lasts 10 minutes and songs play throughout the show, including favorites by Trans-Siberian Orchestra and “Jesus” by Patti LaBelle, Kem and Ron Isley. The couple adds something new each year, and this year their garage will have a “Matrix” theme.
The show usually kicks off on Thanksgiving night and is on every night through the holidays. The lights are on from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on weeknights and from 6 p.m. to later on the weekends.
Dennis grew up in Roland (Pulaski County) and LuVeta is from Menifee (South Conway County). Though they share a love of Christmas, it was a love of roller skating that brought the couple together in the 1980s. “I was a big skater and we met at a skating rink in Conway,” he said. “It was a big hangout place. She blew me off at first, but she finally broke down and had a conversation with me,” he laughed. They reconnected when they were both students at UCA. They started dating and have now been married 36 years.
Dennis retired as a sergeant from the Little Rock Police Department but has gone back part-time to investigate cold homicide cases. LuVeta has worked in the electronics department of Snap-On Equipment for 37 years. She is now a supervisor of the electronic technicians. Her knowledge of electronics has helped tremendously with the light show, her husband said. “I do know the safety aspect pretty well. I was a safety supervisor,” she said.
