Want to put your old Christmas tree to good use than just recycling it? Here's an unusual way to reuse it — donate it to the Carolina Tiger Rescue in Pittsboro.

The City of Raleigh will collect Christmas trees with weekly yard waste collection.

Residents should place trees at the curb on the regular collection day, and must make sure the tree has been stripped of all lights, ornaments and hardware.

The writer of the Other Opinion piece "Hoping one tree grows into many gifts" on Friday's op-ed page had shown up in The N&O's lobby with her story, wondering whether the newspaper would be interested in sharing it. Yes, we were interested. I'm always interested in telling as many good news (or at least good news comes from heart-breaking news) stories we can offer our readers. If you missed it, read it here.

A couple of readers called the paper yesterday, wanting to give away trees but having no means by which to do it. We put them in touch with the writer, who graciously and kindly helped them.

It got me wondering how many other readers might have been moved enough by the piece to give away a tree. I'm hoping anybody who did will share comments here.

Merry Christmas.

The folks over at UNC Chapel Hill have apparently gotten an earful today following the publication of this story about the university's chief librarian deciding not to display Christmas trees in library lobbies this year.

(I've gotten my fill of responses today as well, incidentally, and most folks writing are bothered — to put it quite mildly — with the librarian's decision in this regard).

Here's what Chancellor Holden Thorp has written in response to the more than 40 e-mails he has received today on the issue. 

 "I understand that the Library staff made the decision not to put up a Christmas tree this year after giving it a lot of thought. The university administration doesn’t get involved in decisions like that. Departments can choose to put up a tree or not. And if you take a walk across campus, I think you’ll see that.

The façade of Memorial Hall, our major performing venue, is fully decorated for the holiday, and The Nutcracker is its major December attraction. Student Stores is like any retailer this time of year. They have a tree decorated with Carolina ornaments in the window and, in the store, there is a mantle decorated with Carolina stockings. The Student Activities Fund Office has a Christmas tree in its window.

There’s a big Christmas wreath with a Carolina-blue ribbon on it in the Student Union. Our own Carolina Inn is again featuring its Twelve Days of Christmas displays throughout the hotel. And just as we have for the last 59 years, our Morehead Planetarium and Science Center is featuring The Star of Bethlehem.
 
So Christmas is recognized on this campus.
 
Thanks for your interest in Carolina, and have a joyous Christmas season.
 
Holden Thorp