Page 14 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • December 11, 2013 Midland Park Spreading holiday cheer Highland School fourth graders recently visited Mill Gardens, an assisted living home in Midland Park, to interact with the residents. The students spoke with the residents about where they grew up, what they like to do and how they enjoy living at Mill Gardens. They also worked with them to create a craft for the holidays, arranged by Cynthia and Joanne, the activity directors. The residents and direc- tors showed their appreciation to the students by providing a snack at the con- clusion of the visit. Mrs. Lelinho and Ms. Miller’s classes will be returning to Mill Gardens for another visit. Tips for selecting and lighting Christmas trees (continued from page 11) course of the holiday season. Before placing the stand in the chosen location, put some type of covering, such as a tree bag, beneath the stand so it will be easier to gather all those needles once the holiday season has ended. Remember that natural trees are thirsty. Those who have never had a natural Christmas tree in the past might be surprised at just how thirsty natural trees get. The stand’s reservoir should have lots of water, which should never dip below the stump. If the water dips below the stump, you might be forced to cut a little more off the bottom of the trunk to ensure the tree will make it through the holiday season. That can be a hassle once the tree has been decorated, so be sure to check the water in the reservoir at least once per day to maintain adequate water levels. Lighting a Christmas tree may seem like child’s play, but time and again people struggle with the task. Untan- gling wires and wrapping them around boughs can be nerve wracking, but lighting a tree doesn’t have to be a chore when you follow some tips from the profession- als. Plug in the strands of lights before beginning to check for burned out bulbs and to adjust the spacing of lights to prevent dark spots. Think about varying light bulb sizes to add more dimension. String an inner layer of small LED white lights to produce an inner glow on the tree before adding larger, colored lights on top to increase visual appeal. Be sure to match the same watt- age of the lights so there will not be power surges. Keep in mind that wrapping lights around the tree horizontally is more work and often does not produce a multi-dimensional effect. String the lights from the trunk up to the top, working vertically. This is how the tree decorators at Rockefeller Center in New York City handle the famous tree year after year. This method helps eliminate tangled wires and empty spots. ‘Go Local’ when holiday shopping (continued from page 10) support the local small businesses, which drive jobs and vibrancy in your local community. So go ahead and spread some holiday cheer locally this year. By doing so, you’ll be able to cross items off of your shop- ping list and make lots of folks happy—all the while reinvesting in your community—helping it prosper during the holidays and well into the new year.” To learn more about ICBA’s Go Local initiative and ways everyone can go local this holiday season, visit www.icba.org/golocal. To join the conversation, follow @ICBA’s hashtag #golocal. The Independent Community Bankers of America®, the nation’s voice for nearly 7,000 community banks of all sizes and charter types, is dedicated exclusively to representing the interests of the community banking industry and its membership through effective advo- cacy, best-in-class education, and high-quality products and services. For more information, visit http://www. icba.org.