Branford Family Comes To The Rescue By Donating Christmas Tree To New Haven

By Jack Kramer, Correspondent

BRANFORD, CT – A Branford family has come to the rescue and donated a 90-foot Norway Pine tree in their School Ground Road front yard to ensure that a New Haven holiday tradition lives on this Christmas.

The LaPointe family has donated a tree to the city of New Haven that will be this year’s Christmas tree that adorns the New Haven City Green.

Several weeks ago New Haven officials had expressed concern that nobody had stepped up to volunteer a tree for this year’s Christmas festivities.

And that’s when the LaPointe family stepped up.

“About three weeks ago I had a knock on my door,” said Elizabeth LaPointe, in an interview on Sunday night, “from people from the city of New Haven asking me about the tree.”

She said the tree is about 50 years old.

When she was asked by New Haven workers whether she would donate the tree, Mrs. LaPointe said yes.

She admitted to having “mixed feelings” about having the tree removed from her front yard. “It makes me a little sad, yes, I admit,” she said. “We used to decorate the tree ourselves for Christmas when my kids were little.

“But it just got too big.”

How big? Mrs. LaPointe said the tree is about 90 feet tall.

Workers from the city of New Haven have been working on the tree in the LaPointe’s front yard for about a week, according to those who have been watching from businesses nearby the LaPointe home on School Ground Road.

Mrs. LaPointe said New Haven officials said the tree should be totally removed in the next 10 days or so.

The New Haven Christmas tree annually is a big attraction as it adorns the New Haven Green and is scene by thousands of passerby during the holiday season.

Traditionally, the Christmas tree is put up on the New Haven at the end of October. It is decorated with 30,000 LED colored lights and an official lighting ceremony takes place in early December.

Last year’s tree came from New Haven’s Alling Memorial Golf Course.

Asked whether she will be going to see the Christmas tree lighting at the New Haven Green, Mrs. LaPointe said she plans on being there.

One reason?

“My two grandsons are going to flip the switch (to turn on the lights).”

Photos by Jack Kramer