Wrapped and covered for protection, the Zarembo Island 80-foot spruce headed out from the U.S. Forest Service station for its blessing ceremony at the Nolan Center on Saturday. Lynden Transport will steer the tree across the country, with multiple public viewings along the way, delivering it to the nation's capital for installation on the West Lawn of the Capitol.
Coming off a strong performance in his second and third grade basketball game earlier in the day, Nolan Johnson tightly guarded Smokey the Bear at the Nolan Center on Saturday. Smokey joined in the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree celebration at the center.
Matt Henson plays the keyboard at the official blessing of the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree last Saturday at the Nolan Center. The band, comprised of musicians from all over the country, was dubbed the "Spruce Buds" by Mayor Patty Gilbert, an homage to the Tongass National Forest spruce tree that will soon stand on the West Lawn of the Capitol.
By Sam Pausman
Sentinel senior reporter
If you weren't at the Nolan Center on Saturday afternoon, you must have been out of town.
It seemed all of Wrangell piled into the center to witness the blessing of the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree. Led by the Wrangell Cooperative Association, the event was moved indoors after a persistent storm turned a cloudy afternoon into a rainy one.
The event was attended by folks from Wrangell, folks from throughout Alaska and folks from Washington, D.C. Even Smokey the Bear made a surprise appearance. Kate Thomas, the borough's economic development director, played emcee for the afternoon, and introduced WCA Tribal Administrator Esther Aaltséen Reese to begin the event.
Reese explained some of what makes this year's tree special. She cited the tree's logo, noting the work of Mike Aak'wtaatseen Hoyt, a historian and Teehítaan clan leader: The Tlingit words kayéil', sagú and ka toowúk'éi are scrawled across the center of the tree's emblem. The English translation: Peace, happiness and joy.
"There is so much love in that tree," Reese said. "Hopefully we are sending some balance and love to Washington with the tree as it travels across the country."
The U.S. Forest Service and Architect of the Capitol selected a spruce tree on Zarembo Island for the nation's highest Christmas tree honor - a first for the Tongass National Forest.
The 80-foot tree, with its roots intact, was dug up Oct. 19 and brought to Wrangell to start its month-long barge and highway journey to Washington, D.C., encased in an 82-foot-long trailer. The spruce-hauling trailer, wrapped and decorated with the tree's official logo, left town on the Sunday evening barge.
Virginia Xwaanlein Oliver spoke next, followed by McKenzie Smalley and Lu Knapp - who will be joining the tree in Washington for its lighting ceremony. Hoyt spoke, followed by clan members who sang several songs for the ceremonial portion of the event.
The first was a welcome song. The second song signified the Eagle clan's representation at the ceremony before the Raven clan led the singers in a ballad.
The fourth song was traditionally sung as a paddle song, said Katherine George-Byrd, the Kiks.adi clan mother. She explained the song was "meant to send the tree on its way."
After the songs were finished and the drum was done pounding, Mayor Patty Gilbert spoke to the packed Nolan Center. She commended WCA for its help with the event, the U.S. Forest Service for their work in the tree's harvest, and the T3 Alliance high school students who worked to build a self-contained watering system housed inside the trailer to ensure the tree stays alive during its monthlong journey.
Gilbert also took the chance to bestow a name on the previously nameless crew of musical performers slated to perform several times during the weekend celebration.
"I, Patricia Gilbert, duly elected mayor of the city and borough of Wrangell, Alaska, do hereby dub the No-Name Band, the Spruce Buds," she said.
Borough Manager Mason Villarma followed up the mayor.
"About a year ago, a really bad thing happened here in Wrangell," he said, referring to the deadly landslide last November. "But we've really rebuilt ourselves. ... I think this tree is a symbol for that. And on Dec. 3, our story is going to be told on the West Lawn of the Capitol - and that's pretty darn cool."
A few more out-of-town officials spoke, including Alaska Regional Forester Chad VanOrmer who proudly announced that Alaskans had exceeded the 10,000 homemade holiday ornaments needed to decorate the tree and several others in the nation's capital. To VanOrmer's great pride, the final tally surpassed 14,000.
By the time the speakers had wrapped up and what seemed like a thousand thank-yous were said, it was clear that everybody was blown away by the watering-system of pumps, filters and misters assembled by Wrangell's T3 Alliance students.
Soon after, the newly dubbed Spruce Buds started their set. Event goers enjoyed the complimentary buffet catered by City Market as well as Kay Jabusch's famous baked goods. Smokey the Bear even posed for photos as people trickled out of the Nolan Center.
The tree will next be barged to Seattle, with a brief stop in Ketchikan on Wednesday, Oct. 30.
The first stop on the cross-country journey is planned for Nov. 6 in Renton, Washington, followed by stops in Baker, Oregon on Nov. 8 before turning east for stops in Idaho, Utah, Colorado, Nebraska, Indiana, Ohio and Maryland. The tree will then be planted in cement and displayed on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol.
The lighting ceremony will be held Dec. 3.
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