nothin New Occupier Takes Root On The Green | New Haven Independent

New Occupier Takes
Root On The Green

Thomas MacMillan Photo

Christy Hass looks on as parks workers hoist the tree into place.

New Haven’s tent village on the Green has a new neighbor.

Parks department workers hoisted a 65-foot-tall, 10,500-pound Norway spruce into place on the Green Tuesday morning. The annual tradition marks the start of the holiday season in New Haven.

The tree was donated by Steve and Marie McDermott of Northford. Marie is a teacher at Bishop Woods school. The installation and decoration is funded by a $20,000 donation from People’s United bank.

Over the next month, parks workers will decorate the tree with between 20,000 and 25,000 light bulbs, said Christy Hass, deputy director of the parks department. It has to be ready by the Dec. 1 tree-lighting ceremony, a moment Hass said she’s looking forward to. You want to turn on the light, you want to hear that aah’” from the crowd.

While the tree is up for only a couple of months, it occupies a good portion of Hass’s year. She said she’s constantly on the lookout for holiday-tree candidates as she drives around, so much so that her family is worried she’s going to go off the road craning her neck to see some tree.

Every year on her birthday, which falls on Dec. 22, Hass’ family asks her what she wants to do. Every year her answer is the same: Go down to the Green and walk around the tree. It just gives you a sense of peace,” she said.

The tree has an effect on people even before it’s installed. On the way down from Northford, as drivers pulled over to let the oversized load by, they all pulled out their cellphones to videotape the tree, Hass said.

Workers rotate the tree into position.

The giant tree made the trip down Monday morning on a flatbed truck without a problem — aside from totaling a bike locked up in front of the public library on Elm Street.

John Dukes was exchanging some books at the library Monday morning and came out to find his bike surrounded by pine needles and cones and locked up facing the opposite direction he had left it. A note left on the bike led him over to the Green where Hass explained what had happened.

As the flatbed truck was taking the corner at Elm to pull onto the green, the tree hooked onto Dukes’ bike and yanked open the cable lock that secured it to a bike rack, Hass told Dukes.

Somers and Dukes.

Parks staffer Frank Somers walked over with Duke to help him unlock his Redline bike. Dukes inspected the damage and found his left brake lever had been destroyed. Then he saw a big dent in the frame near the top of the down tube and pronounced the bike a goner.

Hass and Somers assured him the city would pay for the damage to his bike. That’s my tax dollars going to work for me,” Dukes said.

He was philosophical about his morning surprise. I’m glad I wasn’t hit by a car,” he said.

It is what it is.”

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