Resident gives gift of light to neighbors

One Rolling Meadows resident went to extreme heights to create his holiday light display this year.

Anthony Mowers has wrapped the elm in his front yard in red lights from the base to the limbs near the top -- 65 feet, he estimates.

The result is striking. It looks as if red-hot lava is shooting up wildly from the ground.

The tree is hard to miss if you drive along Rohlwing Road just south of Euclid, and it can even be seen from Route 53 several blocks away.

Mowers is a tree trimmer by profession, so scurrying up trunks with ropes and a harness is all in a day's work.

"It took me three hours," he says. "Everyone says, 'What did you have, a cherry picker?' and I say, 'No, I did it myself.' "

He has watched cars slow down out front, and sometimes people stop to take pictures.

Mowers moved to Rolling Meadows this year. He got the idea for the display while living in Buffalo Grove.

"About five years ago I had two elm trees in my yard I wanted to put lights on, and I thought, 'What if I wrapped them?' "

For this project he used 45 strings, or 4,500 lights, wrapping them around the trunk and each of the major limbs, up to 65 feet high.

Mowers gave the same treatment to a tree at his stepson's house on Sigwalt Street. That one is done up in green and has 5,000 lights.

He knows that removing the lights will be almost as challenging, but he's happy to contribute to the festive spirit in town. "This is my Christmas present for Rolling Meadows, for all the people," he says.

Time off: I'll be taking a break from writing this column for a couple of weeks, but you'll see me again in January. Enjoy your holiday celebrations!