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Holiday Lights Contest Editor's Choice Winner: Fox Valley

Michael Ash, who decorated his grandmother's condominium at 7438 Grandview Court in Carpentersville, is the Editor's Choice winner for the Fox Valley in the Daily Herald's annual holiday lights contest, presented by Treetime Christmas Creations of Lake Barrington.

Voting ran Dec. 10-14, with the grand prize winner receiving a $750 Treetime Christmas Creations gift card and a $20 gift certificate from Schaumburg-based Ala Carte Entertainment. Four Editor's Choice winners (representing DuPage County, the Fox Valley, Lake County and the Northwest suburbs) received a $25 Treetime Christmas Creations gift card and a $10 Ala Carte Entertainment gift certificate.

The Daily Herald asked Ash a few questions about his holiday decorations.

Q: How long have you been decorating your house like this?

Ash: Three years.

Q: What inspired you to go all out with your decorations?

Ash: I have a buddy who also enters the contest. I just started out with small sets of lights and kept adding.

Q: How many hours does it take to put up the display?

Ash: Every day for three weeks. Probably 50 hours total.

Q: How many strings of lights are involved?

Ash: 12,000 total lights.

Q: How much does your electric bill spike in December?

Ash: With the LED bulbs it only increases $30.

Visit www.dailyherald.com to see the grand prize winner and the other Editor's Choice winners.

  Mike Ash decorated his grandmother's condominium yard to win the Daily Herald Editor's Choice award in the holiday lights contest for the Fox Valley area. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
  Mike Ash used an assortment of decorations, including large hanging ornaments, in his grandmother's condominium yard in Carpentersville to win the Daily Herald Editor's Choice award in the holiday lights contest for the Fox Valley area. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
  Mike Ash used a variety of things to decorate his grandmother's condominium yard to win the Daily Herald Editor's Choice award in the holiday lights contest for the Fox Valley area. He reconditioned antique ornaments and used tomato plant cages to form lighted Christmas trees. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
  Mike Ash used a variety of things to decorate his grandmother's condominium yard to win the Daily Herald Editor's Choice award in the holiday lights contest for the Fox Valley area. He reconditioned antique ornaments and used tomato plant cages to form lighted Christmas trees. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
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