Bright lights, little city
You`re driving around Carol Stream, looking for a ballyhooed light display at 820 Idaho St., but you see nothing but a modest home-and it`s completely dark.
Then the roof starts to glow. Then the peaks of the eaves. Then the doors, windows, wreaths, trees and shrubs. Then the whole thing starts to sparkle.
This is the work of Don Sorenson, 32, an electrical engineer, who is not content to string a few lights and set up a tree. Sorenson hooks up 100 strings of Italian lights to 48 toggle switches and 8 channels of dimmings, running it all through a home-brewed computer.
His creation is unique, to say the least. And, it can be dangerous to drivers: ”Some people catch sight of it and slam on the brakes,” he said.
”We have seen some close calls.”
Sorenson`s been rigging up his computerized show for about six years.
The show will run for about one more week, and you can catch it between 5:30 p.m. and 11. And watch out for other motorists, okay?
Junior junket
In the spirit of glasnost, Bridgeview Elementary School is trying to raise the $1,500 it still needs to send two of its former pupils and six faculty members to Lithuania for 10 days starting Feb. 26.
Two years ago, Petkus Povilas, principal of Taurage Secondary School in the rural Lithuanian town of Taurage, visited the Bridgeview school. He encouraged the school`s pupils to return the visit, but it`s taken until now to get Soviet governmental clearance.
The two youngsters going are Kari Turek and Julie Jarosz, now in the 8th grade at Wilkins Junior High in Justice. Their names were drawn in a lottery. Mayor Claus
It was a regular Tuesday night Village Board meeting in Tinley Park, except that Mayor Ed Zabrocki was nowhere to be seen. And Trustee Dave Seaman noted that the mayor was, um, ”indisposed.”
Just seconds later, as a vote was being taken, the back door flew open and in walked Santa Claus, shaking jingling bells and looking suspiciously like the absent mayor.
Santa Zabrocki then read Christmas gift messages to all the trustees, village employees in attendance and even the regulars in the audience, including reporters. An example: Trustee Kenneth Fulton, who had balked at the building of the outdoor music theater in town, was given two (imaginary) seats for an Iron Maiden concert there.
It was good fun, with lots of ho-ho-hos from everyone involved, except Santa, who left just minutes before Mayor Zabrocki appeared back at his seat, looking flushed.
The gift
The holidays, above all, are times for remembering. You remember the presents you got last year, and the year before that, and the very special presents you received as a child.
But there are those among us who are forgotten-the homeless, the hungry, the unemployed, the needy. The Chicago Tribune`s Christmas Fund remembers these forgotten people.
This holiday season, please take a moment to remember your blessings, and then another moment to remember those people who have very little. Why not fill in the coupon below and mail it in along with a donation.
It`ll make you feel good-so good, in fact, that you might consider your donation a gift to yourself.
