Bennington ships holiday tree
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The Christmas tree that will be put up in front of the Vermont Statehouse Wednesday morning was cut down in North Bennington on Monday morning. Here the tree, along with a convoy of antique trucks, stops at the local Hampton Inn in the afternoon where drivers will spend the night. Vyto Starinskas / Rutland Herald |
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By PATRICK McARDLE Herald Staff - Published: December 2, 2008
BENNINGTON — It's a different tree and a different capitol but the holiday spirit and the respect for veterans remains the same as the Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce leads the project to deliver a symbol of the holidays to the Vermont Statehouse in Montpelier today.
Last year, the chamber spearheaded the drive to deliver the Capitol Christmas Tree, harvested from Somerset, to Washington, D.C.
Today, many of the same volunteers who joined the 2007 trip are expected to bring a tree harvested from Old Bennington to Vermont's capitol, with a stop along the way to drop off trees at the White River Junction Veterans Hospital.
The tree will be accepted in Montpelier on Wednesday by Vermont Buildings and Generals Services Commissioner Gerry Myers, who is a 22-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force.
"This whole project is important because of the sense of community, the sense of holiday but I'm absolutely appreciative that it includes veterans. … Anyone who says thank you to a veteran, especially at this time of year, is appreciated," he said.
Former Bennington County Forester James White said the tree that will stand outside the Statehouse was a 61-foot blue spruce which has been cut down to 36 feet for display in Montpelier.
The tree was cut down on Monday from the home of Anthony and Jackie Marro. It was planted about 35 years ago, according to Jackie Marro, but while she said she thought it had been planted far enough from her home, it had started to encroach on the house because of its size.
"I thought it would be such a shame to just cut it up and turn it into mulch because it's such a beautiful tree. … I'm delighted to have other people see it. I know it will still end up as mulch anyway but now people will have a chance to enjoy it first," she said.
Joann Erenhouse, executive director of the Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce, said the Marros had volunteered to donate the tree to last year's convoy to Washington, D.C., with a goal of donating it to Walter Reed Army Hospital. At the time, the equipment needed to take down such a large tree was committed elsewhere.
However, after last year's successful trip to Washington, D.C., several people involved wanted a chance to repeat the experience. With the assistance of local legislators like Rep. Mary Morrissey, R-Bennington, and Sen. Richard Sears, D-Bennington County, the donation to the state was arranged.
The tree was cut down on Monday by Southwest Vermont Career Development Center forestry teacher David Dence and students from his class.
The tree was then taken by members of the Green Mountain Bulldawgs, the local chapter of the Antique Truck Club of America, to the Vermont Veterans Home in Bennington.
Erenhouse said the volunteers presented the home with its own holiday tree, handed out gifts to the residents and showed a video documentary of the 2007 tree delivery project. Some of the veterans who watched took great pride in pointing out their own appearance in the documentary.
A dinner at the Bennington Museum to honor the volunteers involved in 2007 was also scheduled for Monday, according to Erenhouse.
Dave Zsido, president of the Green Mountain Bulldawgs, will be leading today's convoy to bring the tree to Montpelier. Zsido said he was as excited this year as he was in 2007.
"It's still a terrific honor, the concept of remembering veterans at this time of year. … The guys and ladies here have sacrificed so much it's important they not be forgotten during the holidays," he said.
Several members of the Bulldawgs, including Zsido, are veterans.
Zsido said the club thought the work they had done was so important, there was talk of making trips to veterans' homes and hospitals around the holidays an annual event, even if there is no other holiday tree to deliver.
At 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 8, Gov. James Douglas is scheduled to light the tree with music provided by the Mount Anthony Union High School Chamber Singers.
The tree will be decorated for the first time this year, not just with lights, but with ornaments that volunteers salvaged from the Washington, D.C., tree, according to Erenhouse.
Contact Patrick McArdle at patrick.mcardle@rutlandherald.com.