Portal
Home
Calendar
Gallery
FAQ
Search
Register
Log inCity's holiday tree stands out from the crowd
Page 1 of 1•
City's holiday tree stands out from the crowd
by Outspoken on Mon Nov 17, 2008 5:27 am
Clearly a star: City's holiday tree stands out from the crowd
A Gorham woman could see it was time to let go of a birthday gift from her daughter.
By ANN S. KIM
Staff Writer Portland Press Herald
GORHAM — It will be a bittersweet goodbye for Joyce Smith.
The blue spruce has graced the lawn in front of her white Cape Cod-style house for three decades. On Wednesday, a crew from Portland will arrive with a crane and a flatbed truck to take it away. It`s sure to be admired in its new home.
The tree emerged as the winner from a field of about 15 candidates nominated to be the official Christmas tree for Monument Square this year.
Smith will be sad to see it go. It was a birthday present from her daughter, Michelle Merrifield of Westbrook. The petite retiree doesn`t remember exactly which year they planted it, but she does know the tree was only thigh high.
For years, Smith decorated the tree for the holidays. Then one year, it just got too tall to string with lights. It kept growing until it towered over her home at 258 Main St. Nowadays, she worries that a strong storm could bring the tree down.
While Smith will miss seeing the tree outside her home, she knows it will look good standing in Monument Square.
"It's at its peak right now. It's not going to get any prettier," she said Sunday.
The search for the perfect tree was easy this year, according to Jeff Tarling, Portland's city arborist. Normally, the search doesn't yield a clear winner so quickly, he said.
"I think this tree we picked is going to be beautiful," Tarling said.
Contenders need to be spruces or firs. They must be well-shaped, with a full form. Those with branches that have been growing up against the side of a house won't make the cut.
Measurements are important in this beauty contest. Ideally, the candidates are 40 to 60 feet tall. But trees up to 65 feet tall can be considered if they're slender. Trees of this height can have wide circumferences that make them too difficult to transport. A width of 15 to 20 feet is best.
Potential donors start offering their trees up for consideration around June. The offers sometimes come from as far away as Bangor, Tarling said, but the search mostly stays within Greater Portland.
http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=222399&ac=PHnws
Tim Greenway/Staff Photographer
A Gorham woman could see it was time to let go of a birthday gift from her daughter.
By ANN S. KIM
Staff Writer Portland Press Herald
GORHAM — It will be a bittersweet goodbye for Joyce Smith.
The blue spruce has graced the lawn in front of her white Cape Cod-style house for three decades. On Wednesday, a crew from Portland will arrive with a crane and a flatbed truck to take it away. It`s sure to be admired in its new home.
The tree emerged as the winner from a field of about 15 candidates nominated to be the official Christmas tree for Monument Square this year.
Smith will be sad to see it go. It was a birthday present from her daughter, Michelle Merrifield of Westbrook. The petite retiree doesn`t remember exactly which year they planted it, but she does know the tree was only thigh high.
For years, Smith decorated the tree for the holidays. Then one year, it just got too tall to string with lights. It kept growing until it towered over her home at 258 Main St. Nowadays, she worries that a strong storm could bring the tree down.
While Smith will miss seeing the tree outside her home, she knows it will look good standing in Monument Square.
"It's at its peak right now. It's not going to get any prettier," she said Sunday.
The search for the perfect tree was easy this year, according to Jeff Tarling, Portland's city arborist. Normally, the search doesn't yield a clear winner so quickly, he said.
"I think this tree we picked is going to be beautiful," Tarling said.
Contenders need to be spruces or firs. They must be well-shaped, with a full form. Those with branches that have been growing up against the side of a house won't make the cut.
Measurements are important in this beauty contest. Ideally, the candidates are 40 to 60 feet tall. But trees up to 65 feet tall can be considered if they're slender. Trees of this height can have wide circumferences that make them too difficult to transport. A width of 15 to 20 feet is best.
Potential donors start offering their trees up for consideration around June. The offers sometimes come from as far away as Bangor, Tarling said, but the search mostly stays within Greater Portland.
http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=222399&ac=PHnws
Tim Greenway/Staff Photographer
"Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything."
Plato (427-347 BC)
Plato (427-347 BC)
