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Meet Fat Albert, Boardman’s 1st community Christmas tree
BOARDMAN
Photo
Gabe Manginelli, a Boardman Park groundskeeper, helps decorate the Boardman community Christmas tree, a Fat Albert Colorado Blue Spruce. The official lighting of the tree will be Sunday.
For the first time in township history, Boardman joins its neighbors that have community Christmas trees.
Boardman Park is the new home of an 11-foot Fat Albert Colorado Blue Spruce from a nursery near Cleveland. The tree was donated by David Collins, president of Diamond Steel, in memory of Clarence Smith Sr., the company’s founder, said Daniel Slagle, the park’s executive director.
“The tree symbolizes community spirit and from now on, people will gather together and celebrate the lighting of the tree,” he said.
Although this is the first official Christmas tree dedication, the park has organized a holiday light display and kickoff celebration for the past 15 years.
“When it became dark, we would turn on the lights and that tradition will stay,” Slagle said, adding that tours of the St. James Meeting House still are part of the program.
The tree is wrapped in ribbon and spotted with red bows. Ornaments representing local businesses, civic organizations and other groups dangle from the tree’s branches, which will be lit up for the first time Sunday.
Boardman, however, isn’t the only area celebrating the holiday season this weekend. Parades and tree lightings are planned in Austintown, Youngstown, Warren, Canfield and Beaver Township, among other communities.
In Poland, the Christmas tree lighting is in its third year and continues to grow, said Jeannette Albert, chairwoman of the event that is sponsored by the Poland Jr. Women’s Club and Town One Streetscapes.
The festivities will begin Saturday with a performance of carols sung in English and Polish by the Krakowiaki Polish Folk Circle at Peterson Park in the center of Poland.
The public library, a newcomer to the annual program, will offer crafts for children and welcome Mrs. Claus who will read a holiday story to children in the evening.
The goal, Albert said, is to have an old-fashioned celebration “with a Charles-Dickens-type feel to it.”
“My hope is that people come out to kick off their Christmas or holiday season by spending time with friends and neighbors, really embracing the spirit of the season,” Albert said.