Enlightened town: Tree in Square adds holiday glow

The holiday atmosphere in La Conner has been tree-mendous this Christmas season.

Visitors entering town on Morris Street have been treated to a wonderful sight, a tall, striking and beautifully decorated lit Christmas tree adorning Gilkey Square.

The 22-foot tree was donated by Town mechanic and maintenance specialist Pat Smyth from his property off La Conner-Whitney Road, Public Works Director Brian Lease told the Weekly News.

The Public Works crew cut, loaded and delivered the tree to the Morris Street-end Dec. 2, where they and members of the Shelter Bay Yacht Club took charge of its decoration in time for the annual tree lighting ceremonies on the 5th.

This year’s tree stands much taller than those from the last several years. “The tree is beautiful this year,” said La Conner Chamber of Commerce Director Heather Carter. “It’s absolutely gorgeous.”

Lease agreed.

“It’s really perfect,” he said. “When people ask me about it, I tell everybody that you really can’t expect to have one this nice every year because a tree like this isn’t easy to find.”

Fortunately, the Town had an inside track on the 2019 tree thanks to Smyth, who hails from a pioneer La Conner pioneer family and hired on with Public Works last summer.

Lease and Mayor Ramon Hayes said Public Works is tasked each holiday season with lining up a community Christmas tree to stand at the east end of Morris Street, adjoining Gilkey Square, a popular gathering spot for tourists and locals alike. “Staff time is always budgeted for the tree,” said Hayes. “We set it as a priority item.”

Enthusiastic volunteers, among them Kim Oldis, of Shelter Bay, who has served as a Tournament of Roses parade judge, rallied to decorate the tree. Their ranks included Dale Oldis, Jon and Debbie Galbraith, Carole and Sonny Miller, Dale and Randi Freidig and Anne Hays.

The official tree-lighting event this year, made possible by La Conner Hook & Ladder, Heidi (DJ Heidi) Darling, the OPAL group and Santa Claus – La Conner’s most favorite tourist of all – was dictated by the calendar, Carter said. “We made it on Dec. 5, a Thursday night, because Thanksgiving was so late this year,” she explained.

As it turned out, the timing – like the tree – couldn’t have been more perfect. The week had been overcast and damp and it had drizzled Wednesday.

“We had a real good crowd,” Carter said afterward. “It was a little cold, but there was no rain.”