New Albin enjoys first live community Christmas tree ...

New Albin has its first-ever live Christmas tree (pictured at far right) this year in the City Park area, thanks to the combined efforts of the New Albin Improvement League (NAIL), community members and some area children. “For a few years we have thrown around the idea of getting a large, live Christmas tree,” says Alexie Grotegut, NAIL president. “This year - with a very generous donation of the tree and the help of Jeff Meyer and Tom Feuerhelm - we were able to make it happen.”

To help decorate the tree, ornament-making classes for area youth were held at the New Albin Public Library under the direction of Heather Abrahamzon. “The ornaments turned out great, and were added to the tree,” Grotegut says. Some of those ornaments and some of the local youth who helped make them during those classes are pictured in the surrounding photos.

NAIL decided to light the tree the night the Canadian Pacific Railroad’s “Holiday Train” came through town, Thursday, December 7. “So, while Kee High School students sang ‘Oh, Christmas Tree,’ we lit our very first live tree,” Grotegut says. “We already have lots of fun ideas lined up for next year’s tree.” Photos and article by Julie Berg-Raymond.