By Ruth Luse, Managing Editor
Hopewell Borough’s “Town Christmas Tree” — once located near the intersection of West Broad Street and North Greenwood Avenue — was one of the victims of Hurricane Sandy.
Since the day the storm hit town, the Hopewell Fire Department (HFD) has been working hard to find a solution, since Santa had to have a tree to light!
And, when all options seemed exhausted, residents Joe and Ellen Squitieri, of nearly Hopewell Township, reached out to the borough and said they would donate a tree, The question then was where to put it.
Since the annual tree lighting has been an HFD tradition, the Squitieris were referred to members of the HFD to help find a solution.
”The park was our first idea, but visibility and logistics for getting electric to light the tree were near impossible. The decision was made to plant the tree on the Hopewell Fire Department lawn,” said an HFD spokesman.
So, the HFD will hold the annual tree lighting from the Hopewell Borough Park on Saturday (Dec. 8). The park is located next to the Hopewell Post Office.
The community is asked to gather in the park for Christmas caroling from 7:15-7:30 p.m., when Santa will arrive on his antique fire truck to help the children of Hopewell light the new town tree from the Gazebo.
Santa will go to the firehouse to meet with children immediately following the lighting.
Caroling will continue until the musicians’ fingers get too cold to play, a spokesman said.
The tree and the following rhyme they wrote are gifts from the Squitieris:
“The Storm That Stole Christmas”
It was weeks before Christmas and all through our town
Sandy came through and blew the trees down.
So we gathered together to save Christmas day
And found a location where our tree could stay.
On the firehouse lawn a tree will be planted
Where our Christmas wishes will always be granted.
Special thanks go to Kurt Pedersen, of Hardy Nurseries, where the tree was originally grown. Until the tree was purchased by the Squitieris, it was located on and removed from a property in Pennington.
Area residents may recall that the Squitieris’ daughter, Amanda, who graduated from Central High in 1996, was inducted into the school’s Distinguished Graduates Hall of Fame in 2009. An opera star, she attended Hopewell Elementary School as a child.
THE HFD AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL UNIT also are arranging to have Santa and his elves deliver Christmas presents to homes of Hopewell children by fire engine.
The presents will be delivered during the nights of Dec. 16, 17 and 18 between 6 and 9 p.m.
For more information on how to have Santa come to your house to deliver presents, contact his elves at www.hopewellfire.com or call 466-0060. Someone will be happy to assist you.
If there is no answer when you call, leave a message (ext. 30) and one of the elves will get back to you as soon as possible.
