MOLLY MONTGOMERY PHOTO
Pastor Donald Morris was grinning Sunday as he stood in front of a tree he planted 15 years ago that has become a symbol of community in Goffe Street Park. Beside him stood Lt. Manmeet Colon, the neighborhood’s top cop, and its alder, Jill Marks, who organized a lighting of that tree as part of a neighborhood holiday celebration.
As chairwoman of Friends of Goffe Street Park, a group formed in 2017 to clean up the park and make it more family-friendly, Marks organized the Sunday night celebration to demonstrate the strength and importance of the community in the surrounding neighborhoods.
“A lot of people in the inner city, especially this area – they don’t have the luxury to just go to other places in the city and feel like they can own it,” she said. “This is a really strong community that has been thriving for a long time, so this is for people who are less fortunate.”
Cyrena Mells (at left in photo) brought her family to the tree-lighting ceremony. She said that the Goffe Street holiday tree has matched and sometimes outshone the downtown holiday tree in the past couple years.
The tree was not the only focus of the event. Marks recruited community member Ian Skoggard to be “the troll of Lollipop Land” at a tent where kids could find candy.
And Marks’ daughter, Priya, helped sort coats for a coat drive. Anyone in need of a coat could take one.
Elected officials, including Mayor Toni Harp, State Sen. Martin Looney, and other alders from around the city, made appearances and speeches, led by Marks’ husband, Reverend Scott Marks.
“Look at your neighbor and say, ‘It’s about to go down!’” Scott Marks declared.
When it came time to light the tree, he invited 7‑year-old Robert Carmon onstage.
“Brother Robert, do you want to tell folks what you’re about to do here?”
Carmon stayed silent.
“Say something, Robert! Come on.”
“Why?” asked Carmon.
“Because! Do you want to let me down? I’m your friend,” said Revered Marks. “You’re gonna do what to the tree?”
“Light it up,” said Carmon.
At that the crowd marched toward the tree and gathered around while they waited for members of the Parks Department to illuminate it.
Then a countdown. 10 … 9 … 8 … 7 … 6 … 5 … 4 …
3…
2…
1…
And the colorful bulbs flickered on, wrapped around Donald Morris’ tall tree.
