The public works and/or electric departments in West Point, Lanett and Valley have been very busy preparing for the 2018 Christmas season in recent days.

Christmas lights have been installed on utility poles and in city parks. Fortunately, the weather has been cooperative, as opposed to previous years when city workers did the work on cold, windy days.

In Valley, the public works department starting putting up the Langdale Nativity Monday. It’s on a hillside location between the Langdale Methodist Church and the Iron Bridge. The Madonna and Christ Child on the radio tower next to Industrial Service and Supply is expected to be put up this week.

That’s no easy chore. Each colored bulb has to be screwed in by hand at a designated location. They follow the same coded chart the late Jim Bledsoe came up with when the illuminated scene went up for the first time in 1961.

When the Madonna comes down after the holidays, the lights are unscrewed and stored for the next year.

A large Christmas tree courtesy of Gilbert’s tree farm in Fredonia goes up this week in front of city hall. It will be lighted for the first time immediately following the 6 p.m. city council meeting on Monday, Dec. 3. It’s a recent Valley tradition for the tree, the Nativity, the Madonna and the Christmas lights along the roadways to all come on at the same time.

At Monday’s council meeting, Lanett Mayor Kyle McCoy invited everyone to Lanett’s tree lighting, which takes place Monday, Dec. 3 on the playground across from W.O. Lance Elementary School. Santa will arrive on a fire truck at 5:30 p.m. The Lanett High JROTC will be there for a flag ceremony, and the tree will be lighted at 6 p.m.

There will also be food vendors serving free popcorn and other goodies. A bouncy house will also be on-hand, with a gyro and miniature train rides for the kids. The Lanett High band, choirs and soloists will be there to perform. Prizes to be given away include gift cards and some new bikes.