Be Safe this Holiday Season

Imagine waking up Christmas morning, and instead of seeing presents under the tree, you see a firefighter hosing off your Christmas tree!

"Not in my house," you may be saying, but according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Christmas trees are involved in about 300 fires annually, resulting in 10 deaths, 30 injuries and an average of more than $10 million in property loss and damage. In addition, hospital emergency rooms treat about 12,500 people for injuries, such as falls, cuts and shocks, related to holiday lights, decorations and Christmas trees. The CPSC has released the following safety guidelines to help keep you, your family, and your tree safe this time of the year.

Trees: When purchasing an artificial tree, look for the label "Fire Resistant." Although this label does not mean the tree won't catch fire, it does indicate the tree will resist burning and should extinguish quickly. When purchasing a live tree, check for freshness. A fresh tree is green, needles are hard to pull from branches and when bent between your fingers, needles do not break. The trunk butt of a fresh tree is sticky with resin, and when tapped on the ground, the tree should not lose many needles. When setting up a tree at home, place it away from fireplaces and radiators. Heated rooms dry live trees out rapidly, so be sure to keep the stand filled with water. Place the tree out of the way of traffic and do not block doorways.

Lights: Indoors or outdoors, use only lights that have been tested for safety by a recognized testing laboratory, which indicates conformance with safety standards. Check each set of lights, new or old, for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, or loose connections, and throw out damaged sets. Use no more than three standard-size sets of lights per single extension cord.

Never use electric lights on a metallic tree. The tree can become charged with electricity from faulty lights, and a person touching a branch could be electrocuted. Before using lights outdoors, check labels to be sure they have been certified for outdoor use. Fasten outdoor lights securely to trees, house walls, or other firm supports to protect the lights from wind damage. Use only insulated staples to hold strings in place, not nails or tacks. Or, run strings of lights through hooks (available at hardware stores). Turn off all lights when you go to bed or leave the house. The lights could short out and start a fire. For added electric shock protection, plug outdoor electric lights and decorations into circuits protected by ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs).

Decorations: Use only non-combustible or flame-resistant materials to trim a tree. Choose tinsel or artificial icicles of plastic or lead-free metals. Leaded materials are hazardous if ingested by children. Never use lighted candles on a tree or near other evergreens. Always use non-flammable holders, and place candles where they will not be knocked down. In homes with small children, take special care to avoid decorations that are sharp or breakable, keep trimmings with small removable parts out of the reach of children to avoid the child swallowing or inhaling small pieces, and avoid trimmings that resemble candy or food that may tempt a child to eat them. Wear gloves to avoid eye and skin irritation while decorating with spun glass "angel hair." Follow container directions carefully to avoid lung irritation while decorating with artificial snow sprays.

Fireplaces: Use care with "fire salts," which produce colored flames when thrown on wood fires. They contain heavy metals that can cause intense gastrointestinal irritation and vomiting if eaten. Keep them away from children. Do not burn wrapping papers in the fireplace. It may result in a flash fire.

The above information is provided by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Visit their website at www.cpsc.gov.

Santa's Coming to Towne

You better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout I'm telling you why Santa Claus is coming to town.

Santa will be coming to Rose Creek and Woodstock Libraries for a little holiday gathering. First he will be at the Woodstock Library for the Festival of Wreaths Gala Celebration on Tuesday, December 2 from 6 - 8 p.m. On December 9, he will visit the Rose Creek Library during their Holiday Entertainment for Families program. Santa will arrive at 4 p.m. and other entertainment will include Bill Andre playing the Dulcimer and the Bascomb Elementary School Chorus at 4:30 p.m.

Santa has always enjoyed the cookies left for him each Christmas Eve, and now he would like to say "Thanks" personally. Bring your children and join the Cherokee Recreation and Parks Authority Center for breakfast with Santa on Saturday, December 6 from 9 - 11 a.m. After breakfast, have your child's picture taken with Santa. The cost will be $3 per person for breakfast and $3 for a Polaroid photo or $5 for a digital picture on a 3.5" diskette. Registration is required, so stop by the Center to pre-register. For more information, call Neely Hand at (770) 924-7768.

The City of Woodstock and Santa are getting ready for the Annual Christmas Jubilee on Saturday, December 6 starting at 4:30 p.m. A parade will begin the festivities starting at Wal-Mart and ending at City Park. Hot cocoa, mulled cider and other warm beverages will be sold by the Seniors from the William G. Long Center. Stay until dusk for the annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony. And to top it all off, Santa will be there to visit. So come join the City of Woodstock for a Christmas celebration. For more information, contact Lindsey at (678) 445-6518.

The Cherokee County Arts Council in downtown Canton will have Santa's workshops on December 6, 13 and 20 from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Come spend an afternoon in Santa's workshop creating gifts for family and friends. There will be a variety of crafts and material such as clay, paper, wire, recycled items, paint, etc. Age does not matter; there will something for everyone to enjoy. So sign up now! For more information, call (770) 704-6244 or visit www.CherokeeArts.org.

Love Lights a Tree is sponsored this holiday season by Northside Hospital - Cherokee, City of Canton and Wadeken Industries, Inc. to benefit the Cherokee County Unit of the American Cancer Society. The community can come help decorate the holiday tree by making a contribution of $15 or more "in honor of" or "in memory of" a friend or a loved one. For each donation, an ornament with your honoree's name will be placed on the community tree. The tree lighting will be held on December 5 at 5:30 p.m. in downtown Canton. There will be entertainment; Santa Claus will be there for pictures; and the Northside Hospital - Cherokee Auxiliary will serve cookies and hot cider. For more information, call (770) 479-5551.

Crescent Bank, located at 4475 Towne Lake Parkway, invites the community to come visit Santa on December 12, from 2 - 5 p.m. There will be refreshments and pictures with jolly old St. Nick himself. For more information, call (678) 454-2300.

Come have breakfast with Father Christmas, or as everyone all knows him, Santa Claus. He will be at St. Michael the Archangel Church on December 13, from 9 - 11 a.m. in the Parish Hall. For more information, call (770) 516-0009.