Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "christmas tree"

Downtown Sacramento Christmas Lights Photos

2011-12-23T20:57:51Z

It’s that special time of year on Capitol Mall and Old Sacramento, Christmas lights are up inviting people to walk a few blocks and the Capitol Christmas Trees decked out in all its splendor. Over the last several years, it appears as if more lights have gone up to enrich the overall experience as an inviting destination to visit and enjoy. The Wells Fargo Center has done a fantastic job with a beautiful tree in the lobby and twinkling lights inside and out.

Merry Christmas!

Disclosure: Read more at: http://livinginurbansac.blogspot.com/ or http://zwahlenimages.com/blog/

Windstorm destroys tree, not spirit

2011-12-08T01:06:38Z

A windstorm that destroyed the Christmas tree in Old Sacramento didn’t get the last laugh, as the company that provided the tree worked over several days to replace it out of pocket.

“There is really not a good explanation for what happened to the tree,” said Chris McSwain, district manager for the Old Sacramento Business Association. “The immediate cause is wind damage. I’d say two-thirds to three-fourths of the needles blew off.”

Last weekend’s windstorm might have turned a once-full tree to a skeleton, but that’s when the tree provider, Carlton Christmas Trees from the Redding area, stepped up to replace it.

“They’ve never seen anything like this happen in 40 or 50 years,” McSwain said. “They insisted on replacing it at no additional cost. They even brought people down here to undecorate the old tree and redecorate the new one.”

James Carlton of Carlton Christmas Trees said Wednesday that there was no question of replacing the tree, which sits at 100 K St.

“This is an unprecedented event that was caused because of the storm, and the last thing we wanted to do was see one of our customers deal with something beyond their control and ability to rectify,” he said. “We took it upon ourselves to do everything we could in our power and in a tight time constraint to try to restore it.”

The company, which also supplies trees to Union Square in San Francisco, Jack London Square in Oakland and the Bellagio in Las Vegas, harvests its trees from the area around Mount Shasta.

The first tree was a 60-foot white fir that weighed 7,500 pounds when it was delivered. It cost $13,000 and was paid for by sponsorships from businesses and residents. The new tree, though shorter at 54 feet, still weighs more than 3 tons and is fuller near the top, appearing taller to some, McSwain said.

“It’s bigger than the one at the Capitol, which is around 40 feet, but it’s smaller than the one at the U.S. Capitol, which is about 65 feet,” he added.

Replacing the tree was no small task, Carlton said, adding that all the tree-cutting and hauling equipment had been removed from the mountain, as it was late in the year to be getting large trees in place – something typically done by mid-November.

“We had to first locate a tree, and once we located it, mobilize our equipment to get it up on the mountain, and then we applied a preservative to the tree, and we cut 24 hours after that,” he said. “There’s a lot of logistics that had to occur over a short period of time.”

Workers from Carlton Christmas Trees began removing decorations from the old tree Monday morning, and the new tree arrived on Tuesday morning. They spent Tuesday taking down the old tree and putting up the new one, and Wednesday was spent redecorating the new tree.

“Our goal is to be done by noon (Thursday),” Carlton said Wednesday afternoon.

Video by Chris McSwain

Nick Marks, a 50-year-old Sacramentan who works in fugitive recovery for bail bonds companies, said he thinks the tree company is doing a good job.

“I was here after the storm, and the old tree just looked like it was bent,” he said. “This one’s a lot fuller, and it’s nice that they’re taking care of it for free. It looks really nice.”

The tree is part of the Theatre of Lights show, and Kelsey Leaird, a 23-year-old supervisor at the Steamers bakery and cafe at 101 K St., said it’s important to business.

“It brings in a ton of crowds,” she said, adding that the tree is an important part of the draw.

“The old tree was pretty scraggly after the storm,” she said. “Before, it was a beautiful tree. Unfortunately, we had the huge windstorm, and it fell apart.”

She said the new tree is something to once again be proud of.

“Some people had some ideas to fix the old one, like taking greenery from tree farms and wire-tying it on, but this is a lot better,” she said. “Once the company came out and saw it, they brought a new one in right away.”

McSwain said the unfortunate incident showcased the holiday spirit.

“Carlton is a family-owned business,” he said. “It’s really one of those good business stories about the way businesses really look out for their customers. Some people were calling the old one a ‘Charlie Brown Christmas tree,’ but it’s really about the spirit of Christmas, not the tree. And now we have both.”

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Twitter @Brandon_Darnell.

Natomas tree lighting suffers gusts, but boasts gusto

2011-12-02T03:22:34Z

photographs by Barry Wisdom

Wednesday's Grinchy wind storm may have turned the centerpiece of the South Natomas Community Center's holiday tree lighting into a slightly bent, Whoville caricature, but the shiny bright ornaments, entertainment, refreshments and neighborhood fellowship were straight-up festive.

Emceed by Sacramento Councilmember Steve Cohn, the ceremony featured music by the drummer boys and girls of the Natomas High School Drum Corps, as well as the Natomas Middle School Choir and the Heritage Park Chorale.

"Santa Claus" also made an appearance to lend an ear to the whispered wishes of the children during the event's post-lighting reception in the community center.

News Release: Holiday Wrap-up: Recycle your tree

2010-12-27T18:49:12Z

Give your Christmas tree the proper holiday send-off. Rather than toss it in the trash, recycle it. You’ll be doing our local landfills a big favor. Bring your Christmas tree to the SMUD Corporation Yard at 6100 Folsom Boulevard on Jan. 8 from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. SMUD staff will mulch it for free.

Please remove all tinsel, lights, tree stands and nails. Flocked trees will be accepted at all locations. There is a limit of five trees per vehicle.

Christmas trees may also be recycled for free at the following sites and dates:

In Sacramento

Elder Creek Recovery and Transfer
8642 Elder Creek Road (Jackson Highway, south on Florin Perkins Road, left on Elder Creek Road)
8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 8
Also accepting trees
8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Saturday, Dec. 27 – Jan. 31

Kiefer Landfill
12701 Kiefer Boulevard (Jackson Highway, north on Grant Line Road, right on Kiefer Boulevard)
8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jan. 8 and Jan. 9

North Area Recovery Station
4450 Roseville Road (I-80, north Watt Avenue, left on Roseville Road)
8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jan. 8 and Jan. 9

Sacramento Recycling and Transfer Station
8491 Fruitridge Road (Jackson Highway, south on Florin Perkins Road, left on Fruitridge Road)
8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jan. 8 and Jan. 9
Also accepting trees
Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 27 – Jan. 31

In Folsom

Dan Russell Rodeo Arena
(Folsom City Park, end of Stafford Street)
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jan. 8 and Jan. 9

Please note: Loads in excess of five trees will be accepted only at Elder Creek Recovery and Transfer, Kiefer Landfill and the North Area Recovery Station.

For more about recycling Christmas trees, contact the Sacramento County Consolidated Utilities Billing Services at 916-875-5555 or visit www.sacgreenteam.com.

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Contact SMUD News Media Services at: 916.732.5111or media@smud.org

Disclosure: Becky Repka is employed by SMUD in Corporate Communications.

Downtown Plaza loses tree, lighting

2010-11-24T04:40:56Z

Sacramento’s holiday lights will shine a little less brightly this season when Westfield Downtown Plaza goes without a giant Christmas tree for the first time in 30 years.

Without a tree, the annual day-after-Thanksgiving tree lighting ceremony at the mall's Seventh and K streets entrance also won't be held. However, the plaza is likely to be the only place in Sacramento with a little snow this winter after artificial snow-making machines are set up in a children's play area.

Sacramentans can enjoy two other Christmas tree lightings. Old Sacramento will light up its huge tree at 6 p.m. Wednesday at K and Front streets, followed by a light show and more to set the historic district sparkling. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will host a tree lighting ceremony at the state Capitol at 5 p.m. Dec. 7.

The plaza has had a tree averaging about 50 feet tall for the last 29 years, Plaza Marketing Director Raelene Trumm said.

"We're not doing the tree this year," Trumm said. "There's a tree lighting at Old Sacramento and one at the Capitol, so it seemed to get lost in the middle."

Westfield Downtown Plaza is the title sponsor of the ice-skating rink, which lies in St. Rose of Lima Park across the street from the Seventh and K streets entrance. Management decided to decorate the entire plaza with about 16 smaller Christmas trees, Christmas lights and window decorations rather than focus on one end. On Tuesday, crews began installing trees, Trumm said.

"We just wanted to add more Christmas atmosphere throughout the mall," said Trumm, adding that the economy and work at the Seventh and K entrance also contributed to the decision. She couldn't say whether there would be a tree at the plaza next year.

Macy’s Christmas store has temporarily set up shop in the second-floor space vacated by Banana Republic, near the K and Seventh streets entrance.

In Old Sacramento, a crew of four used an 80-foot boom to decorate the 5,000-pound, 50-foot blue spruce trucked in from Carlton Christmas Trees, a farm near Mt. Shasta. The crew strung up more than 4,000 lights: traditional colored Christmas tree lights, icicle lights, twinkle and flicker lights, and strobes. Ornaments range from plastic candy, bells and balls to handmade ornaments celebrating the 1857 poem, "The Night Before Christmas."

At least eight people helped decorate buildings and install lighting and sound equipment, said Old Sacramento Business Association Executive Director Melissa Martinez.

The district is adding holiday scenes and expanding the Theatre of Lights, a light and sound show begun last year. The 20-minute show will operate at 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Thursdays through Sundays, throughout the season. On certain nights, Old Sacramento will also host Santa and other street performers, TV personalities and vendors selling cocoa and spiced nuts.

"This is the best year yet," Martinez said. "We've really concentrated on bringing it up to a different level and increasing the wow factor."

Photos of Christmas tree installations at the state Capitol and in Old Sacramento by Katie Garner. Other photos by Suzanne Hurt, a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

State Capitol Tree Lighted for the 78th time

2009-12-11T06:53:38Z

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and First Lady Maria Shriver kicked-off the holiday season at the 78th Annual State Capitol Tree Lighting Ceremony, themed A Season of Giving.

Due to an earlier forecast of bad weather, the outdoor event was been cancelled and the ceremony was held in the State Capitol Rotunda, standing room only.

Wyatt Iles (pronounced Isles), of Pomona, California, was selected from the more than 245,000 children and adults served by the Department of Developmental Services to help the Governor light the tree. Wyatt is an eight year old boy who at the age of three was diagnosed with Autism and began receiving services from the San Gabriel Pomona Regional Center. This was the 27th year that a child with a developmental disability participated in the ceremony.

Grammy winners Brian McKnight and Thelma Houston performed.

Skateboarding legend Tony Hawk joined Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and first lady Maria Shriver tonight.

The Christmas tree is decorated with 7,400 ultra-low-wattage LED lights, and 1,940 ornaments. They were created by DDS’ residents of developmental centers and state-operated community facilities, and consumer artists from the state’s 21 regional centers. Some centers began making ornaments as early as June for this traditional event and use a variety of mediums to create the festive designs.

Thelma Houston sings inside while the tree is being lighted up outside.

The First Lady and the Governor mingled with the crowd on the west steps after the ceremony.

The State Capitol Christmas Tree is on the west side of the building.

SacPress Photos | Kati Garner

'Some Assembly Required' features vintage toys, brings back memories

2009-11-21T03:16:02Z

A 1950s Lionel train advertisement shows a father, mother, little girl and boy peering into a window display featuring a model train going through a city, over a bridge and into the mountains. The father appears to be the most interested -- head cocked, hand on his chin, ready to help his child build the toy train set.

An adjacent Lionel Train advertisement shows a father sitting on the ground assembling a train set, while his son sits in the background frowning.

California State Railroad Museum's "Some Assembly Required" exhibit, which opened today, featured a somewhat similar scene. Many families were in the museum, but the historical toy exhibit seemed to strike the strongest chord with older men.

Filled with erector sets, trolleys and wind-ups, the exhibit shows vintage toys from the 1870s to the 1960s. The pièce de résistance is a layout, complete with a working Lionel Train set, that looks like the window display of Bullock's department store in 1956 Los Angeles.

For Jeff Hall, a 54-year-old who was born in Los Angeles, the layout brought back a lot of memories.

"I had a Lionel train set and looked forward to putting it around the Christmas tree every year," he said. Hall, the father of four daughters, said he brought home a train set for his children one year, but it wasn't a big hit.

"They were into other things," he said. Two were interested in horses and the other two were more into sports.

It was a similar story for another father, John Curtis, who also grew up putting a train set around the Christmas tree. While his 4-year-old daughter Emily likes riding real trains, Curtis said she doesn't really play with toy trains.

"(Emily) likes to play on the Nintendo DS, she's big on Barbies and she's all about Play-Doh," Curtis said.

Jeff Allen, a CSRM volunteer docent in his 50s, said he played with nearly every toy in the exhibit when he was younger.

"It really gives you an idea of what toys were like. I remember playing with most of these," he said. "When I'm working around these toys, it's like I'm 4 years old."

Allen said he played with toy trains as a kid, and still has two sets of operational model trains. He said that his love of trains led him to become a docent, adding that working at the museum "is a kick" because he can be around trains.

In addition to "Some Assembly Required," the permanent display of toy trains on the third floor is a must-see. The exhibit shows the history of the toy train, nearly every train size available from Z scale (smallest) to G scale (largest), and interactive toy sets and layouts.

In keeping with the holiday spirit, the museum's first floor also features a working toy train chugging around a Christmas tree.

Those who seek an additional holiday-themed train experience can sign up for Santa's Steam Train, Nov. 27-29. The steam train departs from the Central Pacific Railroad Freight Depot adjacent to the museum and riders also have admittance to the museum and the 13th Annual Toy Train Holiday Show.

The annual show, on Thanksgiving weekend, features local hobbyists displaying their toy and model train layouts in the museum. Tickets for Santa's Steam Train are $15, $7 for ages 6-17, free ages 5 and younger. The train departs hourly from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

California State Railroad Museum, 125 I St., is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Museum admission is $9, $4 ages 6-17, free ages 5 and younger. "Some Assembly Required" runs until Feb. 20.

All photographs are of "Some Assembly Required," except for image 5, which shows the Christmas tree display on the first floor.

What's happening at the Capitol: November 16, 17

2009-11-16T05:31:13Z

Monday, Nov. 16

Noon - 1 p.m. Sacramento Area Coalition Against the Death Penalty will be holding a noon-hour vigil in opposition of the death penalty on the north steps of the Capitol. 15 people are expected.

Tuesday, Nov. 17

9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Following a tradition which began 27 years ago, State Department of General Services employees will raise the California's official Christmas tree, a 55-foot fir, on the west lawn of the Capitol.

After its delivery by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, it will be trimmed and adorned with 1,500 handmade ornaments created by developmentally disabled Californians. The Governor and First Lady's official tree lighting ceremony on Dec. 10 will show off an additional 14,000 ultra-low-wattage, light-emitting diode bulbs on the tree.

Sutter's Fort Christmas tree lighting ceremony

2008-12-07T08:41:55Z

It took about thirteen extra seconds, but at the end of a rousing countdown Midtown got its own Christmas Tree.

Here is the video of the countdown.

Tonight the Midtown Business Association, The City of Sacramento, and California State Parks all helped light up the beautiful Christmas tree at Sutter's Fort on the corner of 26th and K streets.

Vice Mayor Steve Cohn, California state assemblymember Dave Jones, and Mayor Kevin Johnson all had kind words for the crowd.

There was plenty of cheer in the crowd. Sometimes living in Midtown it feels like there are no families or kids in the nighborhood, but at this event families and children were front and center. The kids running around playing and festive atmosphere warmed my heart and the tree was beautiful.

J street will also be lit up for the holiday season. To read more visit the Midtown Business Association myspace page.