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Donate to get snowman on honorary tree
(by Sandi Latimer, staff writer - November 08, 2012)
Carol Beachy, chair of West Jefferson’s Christmas in the Park, attended the Nov. 5 West Jefferson council meeting to inform village officials of new attractions at this year’s display.
Among them is an honorary tree. For a donation of $50 or more, community members can purchase a wooden snowman ornament in honor of a loved one or special accomplishment. Names will go on the snowmen, which will hang on one of the trees in Garrette Park throughout the month of December.
Beachy said she has already received donations commemorating a 50th wedding anniversary and a 60th wedding anniversary. Honorees will receive the snowman ornaments at the end of Christmas in the Park, which starts Dec. 7 with a three-day celebration and runs through Jan. 1 as a nightly display of lighted trees and decorations.
Also new are luminaries that will line the route of the lighted parade set for 5:30 p.m. Dec. 8. The parade will form at the American Legion and go through the downtown area. Luminaries will be placed along Main, Twin and Walnut streets.
Christmas in the Park officially starts at 5:30 Dec. 7 when Santa flips the switch to light the trees.
“I talked to him,” Beachy said. “He said West Jefferson has so many good boys and girls he can’t miss this.”
Although it’s just past Halloween, work on the event has been under way for quite a while
“We’re about halfway through testing the lights,” Beachy said.
Funds to put on the event are coming in “decently well,” she said. The fundraising effort got a boost when village council voted to provide $1,500 toward the electric bill.
“It’s a nice display and has been featured in some magazines,” said councilman Cory Coburn. “That draws people to the village. The village should contribute something.”
Greeting downtown visitors and shoppers will be new decorations the village purchased over the summer. Councilman Steve Johnston said garland and red bows will be wrapped around the light poles by Dec. 7.
Beachy is still collecting donations, and hopes to secure corporate funding to cover the cost of carriage rides or train rides so that children can ride for free.
For more about the snowmen decorations or any other part of Christmas in the Park, contact Carol Beachy at West Jefferson Hardware, (614) 879-9036.
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