del.icio.us
Digg
Reddit
YahooMyWeb
Google
Facebook
What's this?
Editor's note: The following is the first installment of a multi-part series by correspondent Telly Halkias throughout the rest of 2007, culminating in the lighting of the Capitol Christmas Tree in Washington, D.C., in early December.
BENNINGTON, Vt. - If visitors think their eyes are fooling them into seeing Christmas lights and decorations sprouting up in Bennington County, Vt., they'll need to think again.
For the first time in 13 years, and for only the fifth time in its history, Vermont has been chosen to supply the 2007 National Capitol Christmas Tree, and Bennington has taken the lead in a project that will span the second half of this year.
The entire state has mobilized in support. A governing committee of more than 50 members is spearheaded by Joann Erenhouse, executive director of the Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce, Lindy Lynch, chairwoman of the Chamber's Events Committee and a local business owner, and Kathy Ryder of the U.S. Forest Service's Green Mountain National Forest division in Rutland, Vt. Retired U. S. Senator James Jeffords is honorary chairman, and Winter Olympics gold medalist Hannah Teter is official spokesperson.
The selection
"Mike was always visionary about these things," Erenhouse said recently. "He anticipated that the Green Mountain National Forest's 75th anniversary was this year and believed that supplying the Capitol Christmas tree was an honor appropriate to the occasion, and one that could showcase Vermont around a series of events meant to enhance our quality of life, and attracts visitors to the local area."
Events and caravans
Erenhouse, Lynch and their committee were intimately involved with the kickoff event, which happened July 19 during Bennington's annual Midnight Madness shopping sales, by decorating the downtown buildings with Christmas lights.
Lynch said those recent developments were just the start of a full slate.
"Lighting the downtown was just the beginning," Lynch said while joining Erenhouse to discuss the project. "We have events planned throughout the rest of the year, and we hope that they will stimulate involvement not only state-wide, but also attract the attention of our cross-border neighbors looking for family-oriented recreational opportunities in Vermont.
"Our local lodging and dining businesses are already at work planning special visitor's packages to complement the entire Capitol Tree project, and the early Christmas decorations will eventually extend past the downtown," she said.
The growing events directory includes schoolchildren from all over Vermont making 7,000 tree ornaments, as well as visits to veterans' hospitals and military medical centers in November during the week-long transport caravan to Washington, D.C.
Committee stalwart Michelle Hogan emphasized the importance of these two cornerstone events.
"Children are our hope for the future, so it was important for this endeavor to give them a spotlight," Hogan said. "And veterans have sacrificed so much for all of us; if we're going to deliver a tree to the nation's Capitol, it couldn't be complete without rendering a proper Vermont salute to our men and women in uniform."
The week-long caravan, from Nov. 19-26, will culminate by delivering the Capitol tree with visits to Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Bethesda Naval Hospital. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the House of Representatives, will determine the date for the lighting; it is believed to be in the first week of December, when many of the Vermonters plan on returning to revel in their native tree's national display.
Support and sponsorships
The project has both public and private support. Government pledges to date include $50,000 from the state of Vermont, $25,000 from the Green Mountain National Forest, and $5,000 from the town of Bennington. Equally important, however, have been the myriad in-kind donations from private backers.
The first sponsor to climb on board was Orvis, the Sunderland, Vt.,-based outfitter, which donated 110 special event jackets for distribution to committee members, and fundraising through retail sales. Recently hosting Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas at Orvis' flagship store in Manchester, Vt., to commemorate the event, CEO Perk Perkins emphasized the importance of community participation.
"The Capitol Christmas Tree project is totally in line with Orvis' mission and vision of environmental and community involvement," Perkins said. "Statewide response has been great and we hope that by leading the way others will want to a part of this."
Gov. Douglas reflected on comments by Perkins, concurring that the task at hand was going to be a win-win for everyone in the Green Mountain State.
"Trees are a symbol of our environment, important as an agricultural product in producing maple syrup, an energy source as firewood, and an industrial product in the construction of furniture and homes," Douglas said. "This is an exciting opportunity for one of our very best trees to be on display to the nation and to raise awareness of the splendor that is Vermont and her people."
A well-kept secret
Douglas' comments fueled continued speculation among several attendees of the Orvis event as to the tree's identity.
"It's a 60-foot balsam fir, but which one is an absolute secret, and a Forest Service responsibility," Erenhouse said, not hesitating. "In fact, the tree won't be formally designated until sometime in August, and the actual cutting will be on Nov. 16 at 1 a.m., somewhere in the Green Mountain National Forest in Bennington County."
Lynch nodded in agreement, adding her appraisal of the task at hand.
"It's going to be a lot of work, but also a lot of fun for everyone involved, and for everyone who joins in," Lynch said. "This tree will not only be a beacon for the entire state of Vermont, but also for all of New England and we are honored that Bennington was chosen to carry the flame."
A Carvan for the Ages
Some of the early buzz generated by Bennington's Capitol Christmas Tree 2007 project is directed toward the tree transport caravan to Washington, D.C.
Not only will the main Christmas tree move by motorcade, but two dozen antique Mack trucks will carry 80 smaller Vermont trees to the nation's Capitol, where they will be distributed to a number of VIP recipients.
"The caravan is naturally a focal point at this stage," committee co-chair Lindy Lynch said. "It has caught everyone's attention and imagination, sort of like a wagon train heading into the wilderness.
"Its main purpose is to celebrate the season and showcase the efforts and hard work of all the people involved in this project by stopping along the way and participating in commemorative events, to include visiting our wounded vets," she said.
The caravan's tentative itinerary is:
. Monday, Nov. 19: Several events around the Bennington area
. Tuesday, Nov. 20: Manchester and Rutland, Vt.
. Wednesday, Nov. 21: Chester, Bellows Falls and Brattleboro Vt., Leeds/Northampton VA Hospital, Newington, Conn., VA Hospital, Danbury, Conn.
. Thursday, Nov. 22: Thanksgiving, Danbury, Conn.
. Friday, Nov. 23: Milford, Pa.
. Saturday, Nov. 24: Stroudsburg and Allentown, Pa.
. Sunday, Nov. 25: Lebanon, Pa., VA Hospital, Harrisburg, Pa., College Park, Md.
. Monday, Nov. 26: Washington, D.C., and return to New England.
Looking over a longer, detailed version of the caravan movement plan, Bennington Chamber Sirector Joann Erenhouse emphasized that some fine-tuning was still in order.
"Nothing is set in stone yet, as the logistics for the caravan are extensive beyond belief," Erenhouse said. "It will be a very involved week; those who made the ride last time Vermont supplied the Capitol tree in 1994 claim it was a life experience they'd never trade for anything."
For more information on Bennington's Capitol Christmas Tree 2007 events or how to get involved, contact the Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce at 802-447-3311 or visit capitolchristmastree2007.org.
- Telly Halkias
