By SUSAN MARSHALL

Staff writer

Students from kindergarten to high school seniors are spending the first week in December decorating Christmas trees at 15 businesses in the community.

“We wanted an event to get people into local businesses to see the trees our school children decorated,” Peabody Dreamers member Linda Miles-Martinez said. “We are trying to encourage local shopping and thought this might be one way to encourage people to get into our businesses.

“As sponsors of Peabody Cruise, we chose to use the cruise theme to get people going from one business to another, checking out the students’ handiwork as they go,” she added.

In addition to classes participating in the project, various clubs also were involved.

Student council members Mallory Harris and Anna Lubbers spent part of their Monday morning with student council sponsor Annette Elliott, decorating a tree at Peabody Hardware and Lumber.

Aiming for a retro look from the 1970s, the girls were impressed with Elliott’s hand-strung popcorn and cranberry garland.

“Mmm, it smells so good,” Lubbers said. “Did you really used to do this?”

Members of Peabody Dreamers will judge the trees and the winning class or club will receive a $50 prize.

The following businesses have trees decorated by Peabody-Burns students: A Little Off the Top, CK Pharmacy, Coneburg Inn, Flint Hills Gypsies, LaFoy’s Building, Mid-Kansas Co-op, Peabody Farm Service, Peabody Hardware and Lumber, Peabody Sausage House, Peabody Senior Citizens, Pop’s Diner, The Scissor Cottage, The Wringer, and Vintage Bank Kansas.