Monument Square

[Craig]

Now you see it, now you don't

The Soldier's Monument? Fortunately, the following event happened at the Christmas Tree setting at the City Hall end of Main Street.

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Now you see it, now you don't

By Bonnie Obremski, North Adams Transcript
Article Launched: 11/10/2007 03:11:25 AM EST

Saturday, November 10
NORTH ADAMS — Something unusual but not unprecedented happened on Thursday when a crane attempted to plop a 30-foot-tall blue spruce in front of City Hall.

"The top broke off," Stephen Meranti, city fire director, said Friday. "It happens every once in a while."

He said the peak of the donated evergreen, one of two destined for each end of Main Street, was weak and possibly rotten. The tree survived the initial felling but snapped when a crane attempted to maneuver the tree into position.

A new spruce donated from a person living on Whitney Avenue will arrive on Wednesday, at which time city workers will also raise the Monument Square tree.

Meranti said the city will not suffer any major expense as a result of the tree break.

"We've had this happen in the past, but not for many years," he said.

City employees sawed the sub-par spruce into pieces Friday morning and hauled it to the transfer station, where it will be chipped and recycled. Firefighters snagged a few of the branches, however to weave their traditional wreath for the station.

The city places an ad in the newspaper every year asking for residents to donate the Christmas trees between 25 and 30-feet-tall. The trees are usually full and attractive, but sometimes city workers have to add extra branches to fill in bald spots.

"It should be something that looks like a Christmas tree that you would want in your house, only much larger," Meranti said.

Not too large, though. Last year's Monument Square tree was so big that its sides spread into adjacent traffic lanes, and some limbs snapped when they caught in the front grills of vehicles passing too close.
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"Last year's Monument Square tree was so big that its sides spread into adjacent traffic lanes, and some limbs snapped when they caught in the front grills of vehicles passing too close."

- And this isn't cause to be concerned over the preservation of this historic monument? The city's only monument?

Does Main Street really need two Christmas Trees?