H-F Continues Green Holiday Cleanup Tradition

Irons Oaks will host a third annual holiday tree and lights recycling event from 9 a.m. to noon on Dec. 29 and Jan. 5.

If you’re still greeted with twinkling lights when you pull into your driveway and a dehydrated evergreen upon walking through the front door, it's time to start making your good-byes. But don't even think about throwing them away. Instead, residents can drop their undecorated trees off at Irons Oaks (20000 Western Avenue) anytime between 9 a.m. and noon on either Dec. 29 or Jan. 5. as part of an annual holiday tradition started by a group of committed local residents and the H-F Park District. Rather than going to a landfill, the trees will be mulched down and used for trails at Irons Oaks. The past couple years resulted in the collection of hundreds of trees. “It was a win-win event,” co-founding organizer Jennifer Molski told Patch in a…

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The Christmas Pickle and Other Holiday Traditions: Patch Talk

Holiday traditions are the topic of this special Christmas edition of Patch Talk.

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Snowless Streak Slated to End Thursday

A storm system could dump 6 to 12 inches of snow on the Midwest this Thursday.

It's time to get those shovels ready. H-F's snow-less streak is expected to end Thursday with a storm that could drop six to 12 inches of snow on the Midwest, according to the Chicago Tribune. It's unclear at this point which areas will see the most snow but "current models suggest the heaviest snowfall will land to the west of Chicago, from northern Missouri through eastern Iowa, up into Wisconsin," according to the Tribune.  The snow has been a long-time coming this winter season. On Sunday, Chicago surpassed the record for latest first measurable snowfall, according to the National Weather Service. The old record was set on Dec. 16, 1965.    —by Amie Schaenzer

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Skate for Free At Homewood’s Outdoor Rink (While You Still Can!)

The village included an artificial skating rink among the many local offerings for residents this holiday season.

There’s still two more chances to take advantage of Homewood’s free outdoor skating rink this holiday season!  Over 500 people came out to visit the fully-staffed artificial ice rink last Friday during Homewood's Holiday Lights. If you missed it that night (or just can't wait to go again) you've still got two chances to check it out.The rink will be open from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. this Saturday, Dec. 15 and next Saturday, Dec. 22. Skate rentals are also free.

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Share Your Elf on the Shelf Hiding Spots: What Has that Elf Been Up To?

Our Patch Elf on the Shelf has gotten ahold of our computer and now wants to know what his buddy elves are up to. Share your photos here!

Both Flossmoor Parcel Thieves Charged

A 19-year-old Hazel Crest man and a 20-year-old Flossmoor man each received four counts of theft and one count of resisting arrest after police caught them stealing delivered packages off of residents' front porches.

Holiday 2012: Postal Service Mail By Dates to Remember

The US Postal Service anticipates this will be its busiest holiday shipping season. Find out key dates to remember when mailing this holiday season.

-By Mary Ann Lopez The holiday rush is about to set in. Along with waiting in line to buy gifts at stores, the lines can be even longer at the post office as gift givers mail cards and packages to friends and family across the county and world. The USPS is anticipating this will be its biggest holiday season in its 237-year history. The postal service expects it will deliver 365 million packages this holiday season—a 20 percent increase over 2011, according to the USPS. The busiest mailing day for holiday cards and packages will be Dec. 17, when more than 655 million pieces of mail are expected to be processed—compared with 538 on an average day, the USPS said. The busiest delivery day for letters will be Dec. 19 and the busiest day for …

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The Christmas Tree Debate: Keep it Real, or Go Fake?

Readers can share their Christmas tree memories, share photos and discuss which style of tree they prefer in their home this season.

-By Matt Hendrickson  A funny thing begins to happen around town the first weekend after Thanksgiving. Suddenly, tightly wrapped trees are being strapped to the roofs of family cars with bungy cords and driven home. Soon, these will be set up in the living room, wrapped in lights (once untangled of course), and decked with colored balls, pre-school-era ornaments, tinsel, or just about anything else these days. Tell us what you decorate your tree with in comments below. But not every family goes through the motions of picking up their tree at a nearby lot, or heading out to the farm to cut one down. Instead, they simply head up to the attic to dust off the same one they used last year. To go real, or fake: that's the question. Personally, I…

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Is Cyber Monday Worth the Convenience?

While Cyber Monday might offer the easiest way to get your holiday shopping out of the way, it also takes a serious toll on our local economy.

Cyber Monday became an official term as recently as 2005, but it's made its mark quickly. Last year, Americans spent $1.25 billion online on the Monday after Thanksgiving, making it the best day for online spending in U.S. history, according to ComScore. This may be good news for the economy on a big scale, but for H-F, it's money lost—big time. How much money? According to the Winter 2012 edition of Homewood's Village Key, $68 out of every $100 spent locally returns to the community. Sylvia L. Wyant, Executive Director of the Boulder Independent Business Alliance, estimates the return of shopping locally may even be as high as 80 percent. Compare that to $48 coming back out of every $100 spent on big box retailers or, worse yet, $0 return…

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