A Christmas tree is a something a town puts up and decorates to bring a little brightness to the increasingly long dark nights of winter. But they seldom truly showcase what defines what a town truly is... until this year.
In 2021 a big tree was brought in to the city of Franklin. It was a monster and it took all day to get into place. Well over 50 foot tall, this sucker was impressive. Just rounding the corner of Liberty Street at night was something to behold... even if one was not a fan of Christmas. This tree had presence. It was Rockerfeller Center in small town Pennsylvania. The town di good.
Then the winds came.
These were not your run of the mill winds, these were "there was a hurricane and tornados down south and out west" winds. And it wreaked havoc.
There were reports the tree that wowed the crowd on "Light Up Night" was leaning. This prompted action. One of the guys from Paul Bunyan's Tree Service said he and his brother tried to pound the anchors of the tree back into the ground in the middle of the night, but the tree, because of sheer physics, just was on its way down.
And it did go down the next morning. Christmas was killed in a year where COVID was killing spirits everywhere.
But wait.
That is not how Franklin rolls.
When something is needed, sleeves are rolled up, tears are wiped off cheeks and work gets done. Commissioner Chip Abromovic took a few liberties with his friendship of a Utica tree farmer to make a calculated decision. The town's Christmas tree was down, but he and others thought it could be remedied. Though his friends were out of town he and a handful of volunteers found a smaller, but well shaped tree on their farm to bring back in to town. He called them and said "You remember when you said you wanted to donate a tree for the city of Franklin?" Mind you the tree was already cut down and on its way to Franklin.
In 2021 a big tree was brought in to the city of Franklin. It was a monster and it took all day to get into place. Well over 50 foot tall, this sucker was impressive. Just rounding the corner of Liberty Street at night was something to behold... even if one was not a fan of Christmas. This tree had presence. It was Rockerfeller Center in small town Pennsylvania. The town di good.
Then the winds came.
These were not your run of the mill winds, these were "there was a hurricane and tornados down south and out west" winds. And it wreaked havoc.
There were reports the tree that wowed the crowd on "Light Up Night" was leaning. This prompted action. One of the guys from Paul Bunyan's Tree Service said he and his brother tried to pound the anchors of the tree back into the ground in the middle of the night, but the tree, because of sheer physics, just was on its way down.
And it did go down the next morning. Christmas was killed in a year where COVID was killing spirits everywhere.
But wait.
That is not how Franklin rolls.
When something is needed, sleeves are rolled up, tears are wiped off cheeks and work gets done. Commissioner Chip Abromovic took a few liberties with his friendship of a Utica tree farmer to make a calculated decision. The town's Christmas tree was down, but he and others thought it could be remedied. Though his friends were out of town he and a handful of volunteers found a smaller, but well shaped tree on their farm to bring back in to town. He called them and said "You remember when you said you wanted to donate a tree for the city of Franklin?" Mind you the tree was already cut down and on its way to Franklin.
It was a fun story that I'll let Chip tell over a beer himself, but he and the others really stepped up for this little town.
They brought this tree downtown and the next day it was put in place and re-decorated. Franklin only went one night without a Christmas tree. Other than the size of the trees, barely anyone would know what happened.
Christmas season was restored.
This might not seem like a big deal, but think about the last two years.
Seriously.
This act was something that many might not realize, but a sense of calm and hope was brought back to many by a handful of people banding together to give a simple little ray of sunshine to a place. And it was done in a day without fanfare and only a few tears shed bu organizers like Pat Dolecki and Ronnie Beith. And Paul Bunyan Tree Service and countless others just said, "nope, nope, you are not taking Christmas away from us!"
These little things, that if you were there, weren't little in the least, are what makes Franklin a pretty special place.
They brought this tree downtown and the next day it was put in place and re-decorated. Franklin only went one night without a Christmas tree. Other than the size of the trees, barely anyone would know what happened.
Christmas season was restored.
This might not seem like a big deal, but think about the last two years.
Seriously.
This act was something that many might not realize, but a sense of calm and hope was brought back to many by a handful of people banding together to give a simple little ray of sunshine to a place. And it was done in a day without fanfare and only a few tears shed bu organizers like Pat Dolecki and Ronnie Beith. And Paul Bunyan Tree Service and countless others just said, "nope, nope, you are not taking Christmas away from us!"
These little things, that if you were there, weren't little in the least, are what makes Franklin a pretty special place.
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