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City of Youngstown's 2013 Christmas tree arrives in Central Square
By EMMALEE C. TORISK
YOUNGSTOWN
Lillian Johnson planned to spend the entirety of Tuesday evening on the telephone, sharing her good news with out-of-town relatives and friends.
After all, the 82-year-old North Hazelwood Avenue resident had waited three years to make those phone calls, and now she finally could. Just that morning, staff from the city’s parks and recreation department, along with employees of Diamond Steel Construction, had plucked her 48-foot-tall, 24-foot-wide blue spruce from the front yard, then transported it to its new home in Central Square.
It will remain there through the holidays, trimmed down to a more manageable height of about 37 feet and decorated with festive baubles, as the city’s official Christmas tree.
“I guess the third time’s the charm,” said Johnson, laughing, as she explained that this year was the third she’d submitted her tree for consideration by the city. She did so at the insistence of her friends, who continually remarked upon her “beautiful” tree.
The lifelong Youngstown resident added that the tree has been growing in her yard for more than 40 years, and was planted by her late husband, James B. Johnson, a few years after the couple and their young family moved to the city’s West Side.
Back then, the tree was small, standing only about 2 or 3 feet tall.
“[My husband] would be so proud if he could see it,” she said. “I’m honored to be chosen and for my tree to be used downtown.”
Johnson added that she’ll miss having the tree in her yard — but probably won’t miss the upkeep, which included “a lot of sweeping and bagging” of pine needles and cones.
Robert Burke, director of the city’s parks and recreation department, said he receives phone calls year-round from residents wanting to donate their trees to the city. Department employees dutifully record those names, then visit the actual trees beginning at the end of October. Gradually, the list of potential trees shrinks, leaving the best tree behind.
Burke added that he looks for a full, tall tree — and one that’s not encumbered by electrical wires or other time-consuming obstacles.
“There’s no perfect tree,” Burke said. “But we try to pick the most perfect tree out there.”
Once the tree is selected, the hours-long process of removing and transporting it begins, said Marty Martin of Diamond Steel Construction, who was putting on a full beard and Santa hat for the task.
The tree — which Martin called “good-sized” — arrived downtown shortly after 11 a.m. Tuesday. Martin added that the company donates its time and equipment to the city annually for the job.
“It’s Christmas,” he said. “Everybody needs a little bit of Christmas.”
The city’s holiday festival and parade — including the tree-lighting ceremony, which Johnson said she plans to attend — will be downtown Dec. 7.