Mistletoe? Holly? What do you see in Raleigh's street decorations?

RALEIGH -- This week, Triangle Troubleshooter took to the streets of downtown Raleigh, asking folks on Salisbury Street whether they could tell what, exactly, those Christmas lights hanging from street lamp poles are supposed to be.

Pat Rhyne and David Goodman work every day at a construction site on Salisbury Street, so they've had time to study the lights. Both had no idea what they are.

"Mistletoe?" Rhyne asked.

"I don't know what in the [heck] that is," Goodman said. "Holly leaves and holly balls?"

Ken Saliani of Cary thought they were the outline of Santa Claus' face.

Dana Whitehead guessed it was "a bunch of cherries."

"I haven't a clue," said Jessica Eaks.

Their friend Laura Klingerman set them straight.

The lights are acorns, she said. But she admitted that she only knew that because one day she asked a workman installing them what they were. She couldn't tell otherwise.

Yes, the light fixtures are supposed to be two acorns with a leaf because Raleigh is the "City of Oaks." (Oak trees make acorns, or is it the other way around?)

But the white lights don't define the shapes so well. When you drive past, they look like a big jumble of white lights. Up close, they're obviously up for individual interpretation.

They looked better when they were first put up, in 1996. The city spent $30,000 on the decorations and handed over their care to Carolina Power and Light Co., which is now Progress Energy.

The original decorations had orange and green lights that defined the acorns and leaves.

They were so lifelike that squirrels actually ate them. We're not kidding: In 2005, The News & Observer reported that the decorations were ravaged by acorn eaters. The city took some of them down because it was hard to make out the original design, the story reported.

Since then, the colored lights have been replaced by white lights. And, well, few people can tell what they are.

Troubleshooter called the city to ask about the lights. After all, one block over on Fayetteville Street, classy wreaths with red bows hang from the street lamps.

But the city didn't want to take blame -- er, credit -- for the light fixtures. A man who picked up the public relations line said the Downtown Raleigh Alliance is in charge of the acorn lights. The Downtown Raleigh Alliance said it's the city's responsibility.

So we called the city back. Jayne Kirkpatrick, the city's spokeswoman, said the city owns the acorn ornaments, and they've had white lights for years.

We also called Mayor Charles Meeker, who said the acorns certainly don't match the quality of the decorations on Fayetteville Street.

Next year, he said, maybe the city will look at getting nicer decorations on Salisbury and Wilmington streets.

Back in 2005, after the squirrel fiasco, he also had asked officials to work on a plan for improved lighting.

In the meantime, while they are still up, tell Troubleshooter your interpretation of the "acorn" lights.