Higganum Holiday Lights Stay On

How do you tell a man who’s lost everything to look on the bright side?

Things looked pretty bleak for Tom Carlson on Oct. 17, the day his Candlewood Hill Road house was set on fire. Despite the efforts of nine responding fire departments, including the Haddam Volunteer Fire Company of which Tom is a life member, his home was a complete loss.

Tom was left with little more than the charred remains of his home. The Christmas presents he had bought, all gone.

Working Christmas lights were the last thing he expected to find while picking through the rubble. But there they were, some under two feet of water. In the ensuing weeks, Tom and his son Scott cleaned the soot off and discovered that most of them still worked.

These aren’t just any lights. Tom uses them to light the holiday tree in the Higganum Green, as he’s done for the last 38 years.

No one would blame him for skipping this year, but the man who lost everything is looking on the bright side the best way he knows how – by keeping his tree lighting tradition alive.

“I wouldn’t think of not doing it,” Tom said.

The Higganum tree lighting dates back to the early 1960s. The original tree stood near where the gazebo on the Town Green is today. In 1976, two Haddam firefighters took over the lighting project – Ken Sekscenski and Tom Carlson. Scott Carlson began pitching in, too, back when the tree was only 8 feet tall and Scott was only 4 years old.

The work starts in September when all the wires and bulbs are checked – 18 strands, 50 bulbs each. The lights are put up by the Saturday before Thanksgiving. It’s about a two-hour process, done by hand without any lift truck equipment. The 57-year-old father climbs as close to the top as he can get and throws down a line for Scott to tie to a string of lights. One by one, they’re pulled to the top and tied together while Scott stakes the other ends to the ground.

The tree is lit Thanksgiving Day night and stays on through New Years Day. The process is reversed the following Saturday, when the lights are carefully removed and stored for the next year. Where that will be of course depends on where Tom ends up. He’s currently staying with a friend but plans on rebuilding his home.

Residents who see father and son putting lights on the tree sometimes stop and offer a coffee or hot chocolate and a few words of thanks. While setting up on Nov. 22, Haddam First Selectwoman Melissa Schlag stopped to offer hers, and drop off donations coordinated through her office.

The Haddam community has rallied around Tom since the fire. Schlag set up a GoFundMe webpage www.gofundme.com/fyachc that has collected about $1,800 to date. While major donors have been individuals, $200 was raised from two HVFCo. Auxiliary events, a Military Whist and Holiday Vendor Fair.

“I’m extremely proud of the support our community has shown Tom after this devastating event changed his life forever,” Schlag said. “Tom has been giving to Haddam in so many ways for years, especially as a volunteer fireman. I’m glad our community has rallied behind him so generously.”

People can still make a monetary contribution (cash or checks made out to Tom Carlson), or schedule a clothing/gift drop-off by calling Schlag’s office at (860) 345-8531 ext. 204, or emailing her at mschlag@haddam.org. Teri Everett, owner of Teri’s Package Store in Higganum, is accepting donations on Tom’s behalf as well.

“The community has been tremendous,” Tom said.

It’s the best kind of Christmas story, like when the Grinch’s heart grew three sizes upon realizing that happiness doesn’t come from materials things, it’s found in a community, where humanity shines brightest in the darkest of times.

“He hadn’t stopped Christmas from coming.
It came! Somehow or other, it came just the same.”