Ronni Hannaman
This year the official Capitol Grounds Christmas Tree will pass the lights to a younger tree. Shown here bidding farewell to the over 100 year old tree is the loyal Nevada State Buildings and Grounds crew giving a pat to this mighty tree. From left: Darin Huizer, David Van Ornum, Phil Nemanic and Michael Carpenter.
There are about 890 trees surrounding the immediate Capitol Building on Capitol Square and more than 4,200 trees throughout the entire 274-acre Capitol Grounds, but the most special tree of all is the capital Christmas tree.
As the state grounds personnel begin the arduous, but satisfying task, of decorating the capitol grounds to light up and create a holiday wonderland to usher in the holiday season, one tall and proud tree will not receive the special attention it has for so many years.
This one very special pine tree had been designated as the Governor’s Tree and took over the dual role of Official Christmas Tree about 50 years ago, according to the grounds crew. It received much attention during the Silver and Snowflakes Festival of Lights, proudly bearing the weight of many lights on its once sturdy boughs for all these years.
But, like many of the older trees now on the Capitol Grounds that may have been planted almost a century ago, this very special tree is retiring and giving up its place to a younger, sturdier, and much thicker boughed tree that just might have been grown to one day replace the old tree.
You see, this wonderful old tree tree has lost many of its once thick but now drooping branches and is a bit fragile. The grounds crew pointed to the conduit about 20 feet up in the trunk that may have unknowingly been installed in the base of the young tree at some point in time that has been causing the tree to slowly die. While still straight and tall, it can no longer bear the weight of all the lights and the grounds crew know they must decorate a younger sturdier pine to replace the beloved old tree. If this tree could talk, it would have many wonderful tales to tell.
Grounds crew foreman Phil Nemanic always loves decorating the capitol grounds for the holidays and states, “We have always given special attention to his tree and while the fragile branches will not be decorated, there will be lights strung around the bottom to assure it will be a part of the show.”
All the lighted trees on the capital grounds proudly proclaim the holiday season while relishing the oohs and aahhs elicited from those who walk the grounds. Most importantly, however, the lighted trees make it much easier for Santa to spot Carson City from the sky, although we are certain he knows the way!
