Modesto tree-lighting ceremony lacks lights - The switch was flipped, but the tree didn't light up

[Kadie]

Thursday, Dec. 03, 2009

It's a dud: Modesto tree-lighting ceremony lacks lights
Budget trouble darkens annual holiday event

By Adam Ashton


The switch was flipped, but the tree didn't light up.

City officials played an inadvertent Scrooge on Thursday night, nixing decorations for a large evergreen tree at Modesto Centre Plaza to save the cost of buying new lights.

Instead, officials in Centre Plaza, which is overseen by the city Parks Department, opted to place decorations on smaller trees.

That decision was not delivered up the line in City Hall, leading to an audience of underwhelmed elected officials.

Modesto sent out news releases advertising its annual tree-lighting ceremony, and City Council members came expecting to watch the evergreen blaze with Christmas spirit.

"Why in the world is there a tree-lighting ceremony when you're not lighting a Christmas tree?" asked City Councilwoman Kristin Olsen, who hosted the event.

Councilman Dave Lopez and City Manager Greg Nyhoff also were caught off guard.

"I didn't know until I stood there and the lights didn't come on. I was not pleased," Nyhoff said. "I think there are other ways we could've lit that tree."



Read more: http://www.modbee.com/featured/story/958708.html#ixzz0Yk3qklQr

[KamaAina]

1. And again the Central Valley leads the way in the War On Christmas

First it was Fresno.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/11/24/state/n114245S29.DTL


The economy is the Grinch stealing Christmas at Fresno City Hall, where layoffs and budget shortfalls have left no money for the downtown holiday tree.

Fresno spokesman Randy Reed said staff reductions mean fewer people are available to set up, decorate and take down the giant tree that has been hauled each year from the Sierra Nevada.

Last year thousands of families turned out for the lighting of the 61-foot tree, which took workers a full week to get ready.

Now the Christmas-haters have taken their heathen godlessness up 99 to Modesto! Where, oh where, are Insannity and O'Really? when you need them?! :sarcasm:

[GodlessBiker]

2. This is very funny.

[jwirr]

3. It is a total materialist view that we have to have lights for Christmas.

What in the hell where our ancestors celebrating before electricity?
I know some used candles but I am sure that many of them could not afford to waste candles for decoration when they were needed year round for light year round.

If you are going to celebrate Christmas why not celebrate a truly OLD FASHIONED Christmas?

[dysfunctional press]

7. why does celebrating christmas have to be 'old-fashioned' to be valid?

traditions do evolve

christmas trees themselves are a pagan ritual anyway, that started with the burning of the tree- the lights we use are basically a safer way of creating that same effect inside our homes.
if our ancestors had had access to electric lights- they would have been using them instead of candles to light up the holidays too.

[jwirr]

8. Didn't say it did. I was pointing out that if the lights cannot be used it

does not change the value of Christmas.

[havocmom]

4. .

oops

[NV Whino]

5. That's pretty funny

and sad at the same time. But I'm opting for this smilie. :rofl:

[Kadie]

9. Yep.

A simple phone call or email would have prevented the embarrassment. Oh wel...

:rofl:

[FSogol]

6. Hook the lights to a generator powered by a 10-speed bike. Let the portly

residents and high school braggarts pedal to power the tree. Everyone's happy. Hee-hee.

[Kadie]

10. UPDATE - Union workers kicking in the money to buy lights and decorations.

Thursday, Dec. 03, 2009
God bless us, every one! Modesto's tree getting lights
Decorations going up today after 'tree-lighting' without lights
By Adam Ashton


UPDATE - Just hours after the city held its annual tree-lighting ceremony and didn't light a tree, city workers have begun decorating a live evergreen on a downtown plaza.

City spokeswoman Jessica Smart said union workers are kicking in the money to pay for the lights and other decorations on the tree at Modesto Centre Plaza.

The tree will be lit up in time for the annual holiday parade downtown Saturday evening, she said.


Read more: http://www.modbee.com/featured/story/958708.html#ixzz0YmHGqEMv

[Jamastiene]

11. Good.

Elected officials need to see how it is for the rest of us in this shit economy. More need this type of experience. Maybe then, they will change their priorities and actually experience the world the way the rest of us do. I'm sick of these out of touch people talking about how rosy this "recovery" looks while so many of us are still in shit shape.

The War on Christmas continues...