The one about Christmas trees and lights

Now that Christmas is over, what can you do with your tree?

If you live in Algonquin, Waste Management will pick up your tree on your regular trash day, starting Monday.

This free service ends Jan. 16.

If you want your tree picked up, you'll need to put it either on the curb or at the end of the road by 7 a.m. on your normal collection day. Please remove all Christmas lights and accessories and don't put the trees in plastic bags.

Trees taller than six feet should be chopped in half so one person can deal with it.

If there's snow, put your trees on top of it; if you bury them in the snow, Waste Management might pass up your tree.

Trees will be chipped at the Algonquin Township office and converted into mulch.

For more information, call Waste Management at (800) 796-9696.

More Christmas tree news: Wondering who collected the most food for Lake in the Hills' Festival of Trees Food Drive?

The winner is the Lake in the Hills Rotary, which sponsored tree number five in the contest.

The tree collected 215 items - people attending the festival voted for their favorite with nonperishable items.

First-grade classes from Lincoln Prairie Elementary School decorated the tree and they, as well as the rotary club, will receive a free pizza party from Lou Malnati's Pizzeria.

All told, the festival took in 1,310 items of food, which goes toward the food pantry in Grafton Township and to the Food Pantry of Lake in the Hills/Algonquin.

Contest winners galore: We all know that sometimes people go overboard with their holiday lights.

But Lake in the Hills actually encourages it by holding a contest to see who does it better.

The Dolgach family secured the title of the best overall lights display.

And the Incledon family captured the Clark Griswold Award, given for the most over the top decorations and light displays.

For their efforts, they will receive a gift certificate to a Lake in the Hills restaurant.

You can see photos of their abodes at www.lith.org.

Going out in style: This past Sunday marked the end of my three-year-old stint working from Sunday through Thursday and there was no better way to go out than covering Patriot Meadow subdivision's annual luminaria lighting ceremony.

It was a nice, low key event in Cary and I was surprised at all the effort people put into getting the materials they need to make it happen - sand, candles and white paper bags.

All of the lights - 1,500 in all, were truly a sight to behold.

The event, in its 17th year, was especially poignant this time around.

That's because it was supposed to have been held the Sunday before Christmas, but the cold weather and snow put it on ice.

So organizers instead had it on Sunday.

Resident Carolyn Smallwood said it just didn't feel like Christmas without this event.

It was heartening to see neighbors out and about talking to each other - I barely even know my own - and I was honored to be there to experience that warm hospitality.

It was the perfect ending to a long day.

Anyway, to all a happy new year.

Lenore Adkins covers Algonquin, Lake in the Hills, Pingree Grove and McHenry County College. To reach her, send an e-mail to ladkins@dailyherald.com or call (847) 608-2725.