JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers HAPPIEST PLACE ON MESA AVENUE—Newbury Park residents Lee and Don Yates enjoy entertaining their neighbors and delighting passers-by with a holiday carousel and Ferris wheelDon Yates may have retired from his engineering job, but he’s still an engineer at heart. Together with his son-in-law, Marc Martineau, Yates has built a Christmas Disneyland of sorts.

On his lawn, surrounded by the customary candy canes, nativity scene and standard snowman, is a unique working carousel and Ferris wheel. On the roof, ready for takeoff, is a Santa in his sleigh pulled by eight reindeer, with Rudolph’s nose lighting the way. On nights when there’s a full moon, the rooftop is backlit and looks like the famous scene from the movie “E.T.,” Yates said.

He and Martineau built everything. Yates was responsible for getting the 6-foot tall carousel and Ferris wheel operational. Martineau, a mechanic for Amgen, built the figures.

His 12-year old son, Ryan, was the inspiration for the project. Martineau took up carpentry as a hobby when Ryan was born, and Yates saw the starry-eyed look on Ryan’s face when he made his first trip to Disneyland. Yates wanted to re-create that look of awe at home, at 222 Mesa Ave. in Newbury Park.

“It’s all for the kids, for the season and to enjoy it,” Martineau said.

Neighbors and passers-by seem to enjoy the decorations too. “I think it’s beautiful,” said Yates’ neighbor Harriet Kohn, who’s Jewish. “He really takes pride in his work. He loves to do this.”

Often vanloads of people from nearby residential care homes drive by and stop to admire the scene. Yates enjoys talking to them.

“Some people come around here year after year,” Yates said. “I love it. It’s a lot of fun.”

And recently a man stopped his car to show his young son the Christmas scene. He took him from one figure to the next, explaining in Spanish what each one meant. The toddler’s eyes were wide with delight.

“That one thing made the whole deal worth it to me,” said Yates, who doesn’t speak Spanish but figured out what the man was saying. “He was so sincere it kind of touched your heart.”