Stayton – 5:30 p.m. Flashlight Parade from the Star Cinema
on Third Avenue to the Gardner House followed by
tree lighting and Community Sing.
Sublimity – 7:30 p.m. Tree lighting at the park adjacent
to the fire station, 115 Parker St. followed by
festivities in the fire station with Santa.
Sometimes it takes a whole village to light a Christmas tree, particularly if the tree is 43 feet tall, weighs 23,000 lbs. and requires hundreds of lights to be checked and strung. Then there’s the preparation required to invite an entire community to come together and celebrate the season.
Fortunately, new Stayton Sublimity Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Michael Brown discovered there’s not just one village of volunteers ready to take on the tasks, there’s two.
Rain or shine it will be a bright evening Saturday, Dec.6 as light sparkles from the community trees in Stayton and Sublimity, twinkles in Santa’s eyes as he presides over each celebration, and shines from the faces of delighted children.
There’s still quite a bit to be accomplished the first week in December to pull the pieces together.
While Freres Lumber has selected a “spectacular” tree to donate for the Stayton celebration, Brown says, it still has to be hauled down to the lot on Third Avenue next to the Gardner House, raised, and secured with guide wires.
“It’s just a huge undertaking for Freres to select and harvest a tree for us. They have to really look for it,” Brown said.
On the morning of Dec. 1 a crew from Emery Construction will meet the Freres truck and see that the tree is placed and decorated on the lot loaned for the occasion by Mayor-elect Gerry Aboud.
It doesn’t end there. Retired electrician Chuck Kvam will continue his holiday volunteer tradition and see that the electrical system is ready and appropriate to support hundreds of lights. “It’s not just let’s plug a string of lights,” assistant director Mary Albert chimed in, singing Kvam’s praises. “You’ve got a lot (of electrical current) to handle. Without his help the chamber just couldn’t afford it.”
The Stayton Moose Lodge members pitch in by making sure every bulb will light on cue, checking each string.
Then the Kiwanis Club and Pacific Power get into the mix, the club by checking and repairing the community pole decorations, the company by supplying the staff and equipment to get holiday decorations up throughout the community.
Meanwhile, businesses are helping out by making advance tickets available for the 4 p.m. Dec. 6 pre-lighting holiday movie, The Polar Express, at the Star Cinema. Tickets are $1 in advance. Admission at the door is $1 or a can of food. All proceeds go to the Stayton Food Bank. There are only about 300 seats for the show, Brown noted, so getting tickets in advance can avoid disappointment at the door. Tickets are available at the theater, Jensen Kreitzer Family Clothing, Stayton Printing and US Bank, all on Third Avenue.
After the movie, about 5:30 p.m., there will be a parade — complete with firefighters driving the fire truck carrying Santa — the four blocks down to the tree. Families are encouraged to bring flashlights, but Albert said thanks to a donation by Safeway there also will be glow sticks to help light the way.
Once at the tree, Pastor John Jenderson of New Hope Community Church will lead a Community Sing of traditional carols. The Gardner House will be pouring coffee and cocoa to keep the crowd warmed up, and supplying electricity to keep the tree lit.
After the countdown and lighting in Stayton, it will be time to head over to the Sublimity tree lighting set for 7:30 p.m. at the park across from the Sublimity Fire Station, 115 Parker St. The Sublimity Firefighters Association is another village of volunteers, having planned an evening of community activities with Santa in the fire station after the lights go on.
