In Willow Glen, the holiday season is in full swing. The community rallied together to keep its annual tree lighting ceremony aglow after vandalism cut the Christmas lights. The carriage rides are still trotting along downtown, and businesses are seeing an uptick in sales.

"The economy is on an upswing," said Norma Ruiz, Willow Glen Business and Professional Association executive director. "Willow Glen has in the past, even when times were bad, done a little better than other places."

Many downtown Willow Glen business owners are seeing the edge first-hand.

"We've been extremely busy," said the owner of Fleurish, Natalie Thompson. "We have never run out of things so quickly in the four years that we've been here.

"It's been a tough year," she said. "The country has been through a lot. People, it seems, are just trying to make the holidays count."

Thompson has also noticed that there appears to be more thought going into gift-giving.

"It's uplifting," she said. "People are coming in and trying to find a special gift for each of their loved ones, not just crossing someone of the list like in previous years. People are trying to give a good going out for 2005."

Alvin Cachaper, owner of Kubo-The Little House, agrees with Thompson.

"We're getting pretty busy," he says. "Orchids are flying. People are buying them for decorating their houses for entertaining."

Business is recovering. It's a good sign, he says.

Even the pets in the family will have a happy holiday.

Mercedes Elvencere, store manager at Gussied Up, said, "People are out shopping for all the members of the family."

The special spirit of the season is also adding a new look to downtown Willow Glen. The businesses have created a uniform look with the lights.

"It gives the downtown an overall look, like downtown Saratoga," Thompson said.

Quite a few businesses donated funds for the lights and property owners have donated the electricity, Ruiz said.

Cachaper likes the lights on Lincoln Avenue but wishes there were more around the trees.

"They would brighten up the strip," he said. "But I'm a light freak when it comes to holiday lights."