Lewes Christmas tree heads to the First Town
A large crew from Sussex Tree Inc. rolled up to the home of Harry and Patricia Still about 7:45 a.m., Nov. 18. A large crane, remote-controlled stump grinder and other equipment were unloaded, and the Stills’ large evergreen fronting Oak Orchard Road was quickly removed, dropped onto a flatbed and hauled off to Zwaanendael Park to become Lewes’ official Christmas tree for the 2021 holiday season.
The Stills contacted the City of Lewes after seeing an advertisement in the Cape Gazette. The tree had grown too tall and was getting close to power lines, Harry said.
Janet Reeves, the city’s parks and marina administrator, was on site to view the tree being cut down. Although the Stills’ tree was the first she evaluated, she considered a few other trees before making a final decision.
The crew from Sussex Tree, which donated its time and services, immediately took the tree to Lewes, where it received a police escort to Zwaanendael Park. The city’s maintenance department then used a bucket truck from the Lewes Board of Public Works to decorate the tree.
The official tree-lighting ceremony will be held immediately after the annual Christmas Parade Saturday, Dec. 4.
Nick Roth is the news editor. He has been with the Cape Gazette since 2012, previously covering town beats in Milton and Lewes. In addition to serving on the editorial board and handling page layout, Nick is responsible for the weekly Delaware History in Photographs feature and enjoys writing stories about the Cape Region’s history. Prior to the Cape Gazette, Nick worked for the Delmarva Media Group, including the Delaware Wave, Delaware Coast Press and Salisbury Daily Times. He also contributed to The News Journal. Originally from Boyertown, Pa., Nick attended Shippensburg University in central Pennsylvania, graduating in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. He’s won several MDDC awards during his career for both writing and photography. In his free time, he enjoys golfing, going to the beach with his family and cheering for Philadelphia sports teams.
