Atlanta Store's 75-Foot Christmas Tree Snaps In Half

[matcom]

<snip>

ATLANTA -- It was beginning to look a lot like Christmas at one Atlanta department store -- until its huge tree snapped in two.

As workers were hoisting the 75-foot Great Georgia Pine above the Rich's-Macy's store Sunday in preparation for its traditional Thanksgiving tree lighting ceremony, the tree broke in half.

This year's tree weighed nearly 15,000 pounds before it split into two pieces. Onlookers who gathered in the frigid weather to watch the event bristled after the accident, reported WSB-TV in Atlanta.

"We just walked out here and the tree popped," witness Diane Smith said. "It was unbelievable."

Albert Hicks, who scooped up a piece of the fallen pine as a souvenir, said he has full faith that the event will proceed as planned.

"Santa is on board and Christmas shall go on," he said.

http://www.wftv.com/newsofthestrange/3919303/detail.html

[radwriter0555]

1. Decorate trees for a dead baby! YEAH! Let's go SHOPPING!

WOO HOOOOOOO!

[lazarus]

2. horrible writing

"This year's tree weighed nearly 15,000 pounds before it split into two pieces."

And it weighed more or less while in two pieces? Oy!

[Bertha Venation]

3. onlookers BRISTLED after the accident?

Yeah, a poorly written article, but GAWD, for pun-lovers, that's a pretty good one.

[RubyDuby in GA]

5. Well of course it's horrible writing

they hire locally and you know GA is always last in education.
It's a wonder they even knew what "bristled" means.

What a godawful rag. Do you see what we're dealing with here...
Thank god we can still get the NY Times.

And that's exactly what Rich's-Macy's deserves after first deciding to call itself Rich's-Macy's, then dropping the Rich's from the name. There's a reason everyone from here calls it the Rich's Great Tree you corporate whores. Damn you Federated for ruining everything.... (ok, I'm really just bitter that they closed the Macy's store that was 3 blocks up from my office...you've ruined my lunch hours forever!)

But at least I rode the Pink Pig - the original one at the downtown Rich's store way back in the day!

[HeeBGBz]

4. Revenge of the Pine

What broke was the ole tree's heart. I'm glad it refused to be a decorated carcass for the festive collective.