(Photo: Jackie Johnson)

Folks are getting into the Christmas spirit at the state Capitol.

The official state Christmas tree is erected in the Capitol rotunda. The 35-foot balsam fir comes from a private owner between Hudson and River Falls in western Wisconsin. Folks will be decorating the tree all week, using about 2,400 energy-efficient light-emitting diodes, or LEDs — saving money AND prolonging the life of the tree.

“(The LEDs save) a tremendous amount of energy, a tremendous amount of heat. And especially the upper half of the tree doesn’t dry out nearly as much as it did before.”

Capitol Building and Grounds Supervisor Bill Beckman says they’ve been using the popular LEDs for about five years. He says workers will trim the tree with ornaments from school kids throughout the state. Beckman notes, the capitol had displayed trees as tall as 45 feet, but he’s happy with this 35-foot balsam.

“Anything that’s 45 feet tall, it takes a long, long time to decorate it.”

And, he says, it’s free so “you take what you can get.” The official tree-lighting ceremony will be on Friday at noon.

Jackie Johnson (1:19)

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It’s tradition this time of year to tell a few “stories” to family & friends for the holidays, so with that in mind, the Burlington Liar’s Club is urging your best effort on a broader scale. Since 1929 the club has been accepting lies, big and small.

The winner gets a certificate and 15-minutes-of-fame. Entries can be mailed, along with a dollar that guarantees membership, to PO Box 156, Burlington, WI 53105. Online submissions are also accepted. The deadline is Dec 15.

There is no age limit. But politicians are not allowed, the organization considers them “professional liars.”

Contributed by Tom Karkow-WRJN