by Natalie M. Zeigler, City Manager
Halloween has just passed, and nearly
two months remain until Christmas, but the City of Hartsville's Public Service
Department has already begun the preparations for our holiday events.Already, the 50 steel-frame snowflakes which will adorn 5th Street power poles have been pulled from storage for maintenance and repair. Workers have been checking the wiring and all 3,900 bulbs to ensure every part of every snowflake will be lit. The display goes into place in a little over a week, just in time to provide some Christmas spirit for downtown businesses during the Holiday Downtown Open House, Thursday Nov. 15, beginning at 6 p.m.
Beyond that, banners remain to be hung along 5th Street, garland placed on the cross streets and smaller snowflakes and a metal-frame tree installed in Centennial Park.
The real showpiece, however, is always the city Christmas tree. We are now making the final tree selection from those property owners who have graciously offered us one from their land. Once chosen, the tree must be cut down, shipped into Burry Park, set upright and secured in the ground with concrete and guy wires. Finally, it is decorated with oversized ornaments and 1,800 feet of lights, all done with a bucket truck.
This work by our crews makes possible the magical evening when we light the tree, and establishes a point of city pride for the month afterward. In the future, we will be able to save some of the cost of putting up the tree, and save some trees, too. The city recently planted a red cedar in the corner of Burry Park to eventually serve as Hartsville's permanent Christmas tree. With fertilizer and care, it should grow to about 25 feet and be ready for decoration every December in two years at most.
Our city crews work hard to bring Hartsville its Christmas appearance, and their efforts usually go unseen until everything is in place. I've been proud of what they have made happen every Christmas, and look forward to seeing all of it happening again.
On the topic of Christmas, don't forget these coming holiday events:
• A free showing of "The Polar Express," followed by a visit from Santa, will take place at the T.B. Thomas Sports Center at Byerly Park on Friday, Nov. 30, at 6 p.m.
• The Hartsville Christmas Parade, the “Miracle on Carolina Avenue," is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 1, beginning at 10:30 a.m. and moving through downtown. Free carriage rides will depart from Centennial Park beginning at 12:30 p.m.
• The Annual Mayor's Tree Lighting will take place at Burry Park later the same day, Saturday, Dec. 1, at 6:30 p.m. After the tree is in place, children can bring their letters for Santa to the mailbox at the tree.
