Capitol chooses area tree

• Harvest time

Bill Beckman, a facilities manager for the state, coordinates the harvesting of the capitol’s Christmas tree, taken this year from Charlie MacDonald’s Mr. Snowman’s Christmas Tree Farm in the Town of Clifton. -- Photo by Debbie Griffin
• On its way

A small crowd gathered to watch at a Town of Clifton tree farm as volunteers harvested the Christmas tree that will stand in the state capitol rotunda in Madison. -- Photo by Debbie Griffin

Talk about it

TOWN OF CLIFTON--Volunteers, neighbors and observers gathered at 9 a.m. Nov. 24 at Mr. Snowman’s Christmas Tree Farm, N7619 1250th Ave., in the Town of Clifton, for the harvesting of a 35-foot Balsam fir tree to be used as Wisconsin’s official Christmas tree at the capitol in Madison.

Bill Beckman, a facilities manager who’s worked for the state for 31 years and has harvested the capitol’s tree for the past 28 years, said the Balsam will be decorated then featured in a lighting ceremony this Friday. He said schoolchildren make decorations for it.

State Rep. Kitty Rhoades (R-Hudson) attended the harvesting and said the capitol displays a “slice” of each year’s tree, which timber professionals on hand that day called a “cookie.” Rhoades said the display shows the succession of years in which the state called it a holiday tree or Christmas tree.

Rhoades said Wisconsin created a law stating the decorated pine standing in the state capitol would be called a Christmas tree.

Owner of Mr. Snowman’s, Charlie MacDonald, said the state usually seeks a Balsam fir tree and selected the one at his farm after he responded to a “request for consideration.” The state expressed interest, so he sent a photo of the tree.

MacDonald opened his choose-and-cut farm for the season a week before Thanksgiving. He bought the Town of Clifton acreage in 1981 and planted trees on it a few years later.

For more please read the Dec. 2 print version of the Herald.

Tags: local news, area tree, news, capitol