As they round Saybrook Road into town, visitors “ooh” at the large tree on the Green all lit up for the holidays.
The lighting of the tree stands as a “welcome to town” and an affirmation to residents that everything’s right with the world, but most people don’t think twice about all the work that goes on behind the scenes to make it happen each year.
Exactly when the tradition started is unclear but it dates back at least to the early 1960s. The tree used then was a large tree that stood where the Gazebo is today.
Around 1976, the lighting project was taken over by two Haddam firefighters, Ken Sekscenski and Tom Carlson. Tom’s son, Scott, started lending a hand when he was a youngster.
Every year since, Tom and Scott have made sure that the tree is lit – properly and on time.
They start in September, checking all the wires and bulbs – 18 strings of lights, 50 bulbs on each string. The lights are up by the Saturday before Thanksgiving. The process is done by hand, without the aid of lift truck equipment. Tom usually climbs the tree to as close to the top as he can get, then throws down a line for Scott to tie to a string of lights. One by one, all the strings are pulled to the top and tied together.
Once lit, Tom checks to make sure all the strings stay working. The folks at Citizen’s Bank also keep an eye on the tree and let Tom know of any malfunction, especially after a windstorm.
The tree is lit Thanksgiving Day night and stays on through New Years Day. The process is reversed the following Saturday, when all strings of lights are carefully removed and stored for yet another season.
Residents who see the father-son team putting the lights up will sometimes stop to offer a coffee or hot chocolate and a few words of thanks.
Thanks guys for keeping this local tradition alive.
