By Gloria Austin
Staff Writer
HOULTON — There are few things more heartwarming than being in a small town during the Christmas season.
In Market Square, brand new lights grace the balsam fir standing proudly in the center of town. That tree is the centerpiece for the holiday festivities.
It is also a symbol of how small town residents come together to help one another.
Pioneer Times Photo/Gloria Austin
ONE BIG TREE — A crew from the town of Houlton works to get the latest tree into place for transport to Market Square.
The Houlton Chamber of Commerce sent out a request to area businesses and individuals asking for aid in purchasing new Christmas lights for the town trees — the one in Market Square and the other at the Houlton Shopping Plaza on the North Road — and the response was overwhelming.
“From that very first e-mail posing the question to Saturday’s light and banner hanging party in downtown Houlton, every person who was approached to help had responded with enthusiasm and ideas for making the project easier and better,” said Jane Torres, executive director of the chamber of commerce.
The town-owned Christmas lights have lit many a Christmas season in the Shiretown. But, they were becoming worn and tired from their work, with many not having enough energy to light up again. The twinkle dimmed. Then, there was the weary tree topper.
The new LED lights will restore the sparkle to the tree like in Christmases past, which drum up a number of memories. And, the tree topper from the late 1970s — held together with electrical tape — will be replaced with a 22-pound star.
Last Friday, a local couple donated two of their balsam firs from their property to spark the season. Employees from the town of Houlton and Houlton Water Company cut down the large trees, cautiously getting them onto the two waiting dump trucks. The tree’s limbs overhung the sides of the truck, but the scent of Christmas was in the air.
“The Houlton Water Company brings the bucket truck to hold the tree steady while placing it in Market Square,” said Torres. “The tree which is tied is then carefully lowered into a four-foot pipe set into the sidewalk. A big heavy tree does not always want to stand up straight or fit into the hole. But this year, in the true spirit of cooperation, the Market Square tree dropped straight down and popped right into place. It was like the tree just knew that we needed it to act perfectly.”
With the trees placed in their rightful spots, it was time for the decoration of lights.
“Who knew that when you order super heavy duty outdoor lighting you receive the wire in one box and the bulbs in another?,” asked Torres.
Torres had 1,400-feet of wire and 1,400 bulbs in her office, needing to be put together. A daunting task just a week away from the holiday light parade and ceremonial lighting of the tree.
“That is when Dee Butler and her students at the Houlton High School arrived at the door,” said Torres. “They were really here to help decorate the chamber porch for the holidays, but there were so many students eager to help that half of them were assigned the task of screwing in light bulbs. That done, we could move on to the logistics of putting the strings of lights on the tree.”
The Houlton Water Company has graciously, for years, put the lights on the tree, and as Torres said, “Without complaint they made sure the lights were on the trees.”
But to relieve a bit of the burden, the Houlton Rotarians volunteered with bucket trucks and lifts to put on the lights.
“Simple enough, but the project snowballed,” explained Torres. “If we were going to do new lights, shouldn’t we also have seasonal banners? Shouldn’t we think about lighting up the Gateway Bridge? Wouldn’t it be nice to replace the outdoor speakers on the marquis at the Temple Theater and have Christmas music downtown for the enjoyment of the shoppers? Yes to all of that, which attracted even more volunteers.”
If by chance on Saturday you happened to be downtown, folks from McLaughlin Construction, Buildings Etcetera, Bither’s Electric, JMM Services, Clukey’s Auto, Swallow’s Electric and Katahdin Trust Comapny were working to get everything ready for this holiday season.
“How many people does it take to screw in a lightbulb? At last count it was 27 and it was done without whining or complaining when, we are sure, many of those volunteers would rather have been hunting,” added Torres.
The Houlton Chamber of Commerce and the town of Houlton thank all of those who graciously helped in any way with the Christmas tree project.
“People took time out of their busy lives to make our town a more beautiful place this holiday season,” said Torres. “We hope you and your loved ones will join us on Saturday at 6 p.m. for the Holiday Light Parade, the lighting of the Christmas tree and a visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus. Now … we just need a little snow.”
