Lighting the Tree Wasn’t Expensive

The past two years a Christmas and memorial tree have been placed on the bandstand in the town of Rochester.

This tree replaces a large tree that in previous years, as an annual tree of Christmas spirit, was lighted next to Rte. 100. The town could no longer support this project.

The park committee wanted to continue this tradition and decided on a small tree to be placed on the bandstand.

A mother of a son who lost his life at an early age purchased this tree at no cost to the town and asked for it to be also a memorial tree. This mother wrote me and the park committee a handwritten letter appreciating the effort and time that was spent for her request.

Again this past Christmas a tree was purchased by this mother adding a memorial to all the youth who lost their lives at a young age in this valley.

The first week in January 2007 a complaint was made to the park committee asking if they realized the cost to the town of Rochester for lighting this tree as Christmas was over a week and a half ago. The lights were removed!

To the person or persons who made this complaint: you are lacking respect to the families and friends of this meaningful memorial.

The cost of lighting this eight-foot tree was a drop in a bucket to what the town could save in either town or school budgets in just a day’s time!

Bruce A. Johnson

Rochester

____________