A hometown newspaper with a local office, local owners & lots of local news
A hometown newspaper with a local office, local owners & lots of local news
People gathered around the Kettle River Christmas tree last week after a lighting ceremony that was the first of what city boosters hope is an annual tradition.
Santa handed out candy canes at the event.
The first tree lighting ceremony in Kettle River on Friday, Dec. 6 was a big success.
"Kettle River needed this," said Morgan Yeats, one of the organizers from the Ma and Pa Kettle Days committee in an email several days after the event. "I have been getting great feedback about the tree."
The tree lighting was a community event that drew about a hundred people from the city and the surrounding rural area. People pitched in to help bring the 19-foot tree to the city, set it up on a heavy stand, and decorate it with 1,400 LED lights.
Santa Claus appeared at the tree lighting, greeted everyone and handed out candy canes. A guitar player and singers from West Side Church led in singing Christmas carols.
Afterwards, there were cookies and hot beverages at the Senior Citizens Center. Kids talked to Santa and told them their wishes for Christmas gifts.
"This builds community," said Dan Reed, who built the stand for the tree. "That is in the mission statement for the Ma and Pa Kettle Days committee, to build community."
A crew of two people from WDSE-TV, the public television station in Duluth, recorded the event on video. The photographer said that the ceremony will become part of a documentary about Kettle River to be aired in March. Yeats said that Kettle River is the only city in Carlton County chosen to be part of the documentary.
The tree was donated by Red and Lorraine Lindholm of the North Star Tree Farm in Cromwell.
Reed and his crew - Wayne Gulso, Dalton Asproth, Tim Taylor, Tyler Decker, Dean Marsyla and Chad Bailey - cut the tree, hauled it and set it into the stand Reed had made from iron contributed by Lawrence Lundin. The lights and refreshments were purchased with committee funds.
Jim and Mary Sanders and Marcia Sarvela also helped, notably in gathering the treats and other goodies. Kevin Peura and city workers plowed the snow to make room for the tree and the event. Federated Co-op provided the space, the hay bales and the power for the lights. Deane Rengo donated his time to play Santa.
"It was truly the townships and the city coming together in a labor of love," Yeats said. "It takes a village. And a new tradition has been born."
