Story posted Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Brightening The Holidays, One Candy Cane At A Time
By DENISE FLEISCHER Lifestyle Editor
Candy canes line front yards along Oakwood Avenue.
Des Plaines resident Jim Wozny can't believe that Candy Cane Land is 19-years-old. But that's how long kids have been admiring what one neighborhood has done to capture the Christmas spirit. This little corner of Des Plaines is east of Mt. Prospect Road and south of Dempster/Thacker Street in Westfield Gardens.
It all began when Amanda Wozny and Tom Howard's children, Stephanie and Scott, saw Christmas decorations in Schiller Park. They asked their parents if the same could be done at their homes. Both dads agreed to the project and it has become a holiday tradition.
"It's absolutely worth our time when you see the kids coming back year after year," stated Jim Wozny. "It's five streets long. Visitors see around 100 homes with about 400 plastic candy canes in the front lawns."
If you drive through Candy Cane Land one day, you might see Wozny in a golf cart with neighborhood kids.
"We change about 50 burnt out light bulbs a night," he said. "What's nice about Candy Cane Land is that it brings the neighbors together."
There may be a few less lights illuminating the candy canes, but there's still quite a few out there. Wozny purchased LED lights this year to help with his electric bill. Visitors can see his contributions from sunset to 10:30 p.m.
Do people appreciate what this special tradition means?
According to the messages on his Facebook page...yes!
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