Threats to Concord Christmas Tree Lighting

Recently at the City Council Meeting, it was brought up by a city councilor as to why the Concord Christmas Tree Lighting and the Midnight Merriment shouldn't be merged together to make one huge night in Concord during the Holiday Season.    I am thoroughly against this as well as the people who have helped me during the years.    I will now tell you how this all came about.  Concord had never had any kind of a Christmas Tree Lighting.   In the mid-1970's, the Council of Churches had decided to abandon the annual placement of the Christmas Creche at the State House Plaza during the holiday season.  It was during the mid 1950's, a  building about the half size of a house with an extension of each side was placed on the plaza during the holiday season, placed next to the giant Christmas Tree.  Concord was beautifully decorated for the holidays.  The street poles had colorful lights intwined with garland wrapped around the poles and had an object hanging that featured a Christmas scene.   I understand talking to my dad, the lights used to cross the street and then something happened and that was abandoned.   Back to the story,  I asked the members of Merrimack County Pomona Grange of which I was a member if they would be willing to sponsor this as I had heard they would no longer sponsor it.  During the previous off season, the Stable had been placed in the fields off Hazen Drive.  Vandals had tried to destroy it.   The Council of Churches representatives met and decided to award the Creche to the Pomona Grange.  The Grange members who were carpenters went to work and got rid of the extensions, and made the main building smaller.  However it still required a  flat bed trailer and a crane to move it to the State House Plaza.  In addition a fence was built to keep from the building.  Someone did steal the angel and the baby Jesus.  Eventually it was found in a snowpile int he sound end of the city.  The Baby Jesus was never found so a new one was purchased.  The same to the sheep, several were stolen and replaced.   Within a few years, I was contacted by Jim Milliken of the Chamber of Commerce asking me if I would consider coordinating the downtown Holiday Display, which would include the Christmas Tree lights and the pole lights.    I told him no that I would not accept the responsibility of the pole decorations.   However, I told him that I would accept the Christmas Tree seeing that it was next to the Creche.   

The tree lights were white or clear lights and I decided that I would like to see colored lights return.  It seemed that through the years, the different light bulbs would be featured.   There is no official committee for the Christmas Tree Lighting.   After a few years, I decided it would be nice to have a Christmas Tree Lighting.   I asked Fr. Lower from St. John the Evangelist to come down and bless the Nativity and Christmas Tree.   I wrote some articles in my Town Crier column and decided the day after Thanksgiving would be the best.   As I stated, my parents would take my sister and I down to see the colorful lights.  We learned that as soon as Santa Claus comes down the street in Macy's Thanksgiving Day, that starts the Christmas season.    So I felt it was important to keep a tradition in my city.   Traditions are important and I can see many of them are not here anymore.   So the first year we about twenty five people come and sing songs, listen to Fr. Lower and turn the lights on.  Please keep in mind, that I also was working to restore a lighted Christmas tree on the Concord Heights.  It was a tradition to have a small tree lighted at the corner of Airport, Loudon, and Pembroke Roads.    However, the site had been vacated by the scout troops so the Grange adopted that spot.   My grandfather planted a small tree seedling that was to little to decorate.  It was ten years before we could put any lights on it.  Now that small seedling is about 40 feet tall.   I should mention that Pineconia Grange, now known as Concord Grange, would manage the Christmas Tree while the Pomona Grange would sponsor the Creche.   Several years after the Grange sponsored the Creche, the Concord Knights of Columbus joined with the Pomona Grange to co sponsor it.  It was a great merge of two excellent organizations.   The city would continue to find a tree and transport it to the plaza.  One year, the Army National Guard provided a flatbed and crane to bring down the stable.  The State of NH provided a worker to string the lights on the tree.   Today that still happens, a member of the Highway Dept checks the lights and comes down on Tuesday morning before Thanksgiving to string the lights.   Rick Moody from Loudon did this for about 25 years.   Jim Walker of Walker Tree volunteered in the early years to string the lights,of which was so appreciated.   Each year, the Concord General Services seeks residents who have a spruce tree from 30 to 40 ft tall to donate a nicely shaped tree for the plaza.  I have been asked to go and look at the candidates and chose one.   A couple years, we had two beautiful blue spruce trees from Chichester on Route 28 donated by John Topouglouzou.  

Anyone who knows me, I have been coordinating the Christmas Parade going on 42 years.  The parade was in serious trouble, but I kept working on it determined to make it better.  Pineconia Grange agreed to sponsor the parade.   Prior the Grange, the Concord Jaycees were sponsors and then closed.    The Chamber of Commerce and Heights Business Alliance agreed to co sponsor with myself still chairman.  There was no official committee, but Tom Cusano came on board to help me.      However, it still came down myself sending out invitations, making countless telephone calls, filing for permits, and getting the parade barricades out.   My late mother would help me in most cases.     

Back to the Tree Lighting, through the years, I asked Concord High School Band to come down and play holiday music.  It was great, Bill Metevier who was band director agreed and had a good contingent of students to play.  Despite the weather at times, a good crowd was attending.  I still had no committee, but thanks to volunteers, I had help the night of the lighting. Santa Claus would come and visit with the kids.  Sometimes he didn't have a special place to sit, but we would find something.   I still scheduled a priest or minister to come and do the blessing.   Mayor Veroneau and Mayor Donovan would come and give the city greetings.  The Governor or State Senator Sylvia Larsen would come and give holiday greetings from the state.

The Christmas Tree LIghting has been postponed twice due to weather, once heavy rain and another time heavy winds forced us to reschedule the lighting to the next day.  Each time, the attendance was good.  I decided if I could raise enough money, I would add a petting zoo and horse drawn wagon rides.   I knew Bruce Locke from Pittsfield and he agreed to bring a wagon and two horses.  The petting zoo was from Farmington and featured many different types of animals.   These two additions were huge hits.   The kids loved to feed the animals, pat them and also enjoyed a ride on the wagon.  Santa Claus would sit inside a camper to visit the children with candy donated by Granite State Candy.   I still had no committee, however I appreciated the help of my parade members who would come down to help clean up.   In 1999 due to the hype of the millennium, I decided to try and surprise everyone by thanking them for coming each year and have some fireworks.  I figured once we did the countdown to light the tree, I would surprise everyone with a short fireworks display.  However, that first year the surprise was on me.   The building in front of the plaza was to tall and you couldn't see them.   I could only raise 1400 dollars and you don't get many fireworks for that.  However, it was a popular move and you know once you start something you need to continue.  So the next year I continue to try and raise more money.  I have appreciated the donations I get each year to help keep this going.   I realize businesses get hit every day so I appreciated the support they gave me.   I knew I had to have Class A, which are the big ones that go up high.   The fireworks were never meant to be a Fourth of July type display, just a short one to officially start the holiday season in Concord.   The attendance grew and grew each year.   Last year, was the biggest ever.    I start planning both the Christmas Parade and the Christmas Tree Lighting that same day or night.  When I pay the participants for coming, I give them the dates for next year and hope they will return.   
I also collect toys for Toys for Tots program, Friends of Forgotten Children, food for the various food pantries, Carter Hill Orchard brought down cider, Concord Rotary brought hot chocolate, WJYY 105.5 is there to help emcee and raise funds for the fireworks, Santa Claus, and the Brian Waldman Band provide a great evening.  We start at 4 p.m. and done by 6:30 p.m.   It is an evening that is meant for people to come and join in the official opening of the holiday season.  I also include a lighting of the Menorah for the Hanukah season.  This was in honor of my best friend Joshua Harwood, who is Jewish.   At some point during the events, I light a miniature one to show our support for their special season.   We try to have balloons for boys and girls.  I have banners on display showing who were our biggest supporters.
I was deeply hurt Monday evening when I was approached about why I was against merging the two events.  They are so different.   The Christmas Tree Lighting is sponsored by the Grange.  Prior to my starting this, the city had nothing.  I pay for alot of things out of my pocket, which I don't have sometimes but I want the boys and girls along with adults to have a great evening.   They are not expected to buy something.  This is a great evening to come and sing holiday songs, see the Creche and Christmas tree Lighted, see Santa Claus, have fun and  see the fireworks.   It takes alot of hours, days and months to put these events on.  I put so much effort into these.  
This year, it is all set for Nov. 29 with all the events of the past scheduled. I have Rev. Robert Reed from Catholic TV, Watertown, MA coming to rededicate the Creche.   There are some other special guests that I can't name but have given me their tentative yes to come.  It will be a great evening to start the holiday season.   I was told I was selfish by a councilor for not moving it.   Instead of thanking me, I felt like I was being condemned.    Please call Ryan Linehan at Kimball Jenkins Art School or Tom Cusano at Stove Barn who are joining me this year as co chairmen.    I have spoken to all concerned and they can't believe this has happened.