NEWBURYPORT — The mystery of Sunday’s off-kilter Christmas tree lighting ceremony has been solved and the Department of Public Services is making sure the downtown is merry and bright once again.
Mayor Sean Reardon lit the Chamber of Commerce Christmas tree in Market Square as part of the Newburyport Rotary Club’s Santa Parade Sunday afternoon. But the tree lighting ceremony didn’t go quite as planned with Reardon having to turn the lights on twice and, when all was said and done, only about a quarter of the tree was twinkling.
The mystery began after a DPS crew placed the roughly 40-foot-tall Greater Newburyport Chamber of Commerce & Industry Christmas tree in the middle of the bullnose on Nov. 17. Days later, another crew decorated the tree with LED lightning nets and other accoutrements. But according to DPS tree foreman Lance Rickard, most of the nets were ripped apart sometime Saturday night, leaving the hundreds who crowded Market Square with a tepid light show.
Chamber Executive Director Nathan Allard said it didn’t look like anyone had cut the lights, specifically, but they were out of service when it came time to fire them up.
“We’re not sure if someone fell into the lights or ripped into them,” he said. “It really could have been a plethora of things. But, as much as I would like to say it was weather-related or something like that, it really looks like someone had ripped them.”
DPS Director Wayne Amaral said his workers only found out about the potential vandalism roughly a minute before the tree was lit.
“It’s not like we knew a week ahead of time about this, because we certainly wouldn’t have let this happen,” he said. “They would have cut all the nets but we think they missed one.”
Allard conferred with a number of volunteers on Sunday and decided, since the affected lighting only representing a sixth of the tree’s different sets, it would be fine to go ahead with the tree lighting after all.
“We figured that at least two-thirds of the tree would light up, worst case scenario,” he said.
“Pretty much only one string of lights came on on the tree,” Rickard added.
Unhappy with the situation, Rickard and DPS heavy equipment operator Dan Janscewicz were making use of the department’s bucket truck to fix the lights Thursday morning.
“We want to make sure Christmas stays bright,” Janscewicz said.
Reardon said in a text message that he was made aware of the situation after the tree-lighting ceremony itself and the city will look into adding some more security in Market Square for the tree next year.
“(We’re) so lucky to have a DPS that continues to look for ways to make this city even better,” he said.
Rickard said he and Janscewicz were glad to be of assistance.
“We’re happy to do our job and do the best we can for the city,” he said.
Amaral said his department’s recent Christmas tree assistance is all part of the job.
“This is what we do and we’re able to be flexible to be able to get things done in real time,” he said. “Then we go right back to our regular work again.”
Allard was also glad to see DPS fixing the problem.
“These are the people who make our streets and sidewalks and parks clean and maintained and we should be thanking them, all the time,” he said. “They really saved the day and I’m really grateful for them.”
Staff writer Jim Sullivan covers Newburyport for The Daily News. He can be reached via email at jsullivan@newburyportnews.com or by phone at 978-961-3145. Follow him on Twitter @ndnsully.