Generator saves Prospect Heights tree-lighting

So what is the one thing you really need at a Christmas tree-lighting?

Singing Daisy Scouts are charming; everyone would be disappointed if Santa failed to arrive; and the Garden Club’s refreshments warm a wet night.

But electricity for turning on the lights is the critical element.

Steve Skiber, director of building and zoning for Prospect Heights, knows this.

That’s why when he arrived at the Prospect Heights police station for the city’s big ceremony last week, the first thing he did was test the electricity. And it’s a good thing he did. Rain made the connections wet, and the ground fault interrupters kept tripping.

The Prospect Heights Fire Protection District came up with a generator, Skiber dried the connections, and Mayor Nick Helmer led the countdown to a successful tree-lighting.

If anyone noticed the lights were a little late in popping on, Skiber said that’s because the generator noise kept him from hearing the countdown.