Spruce tree says goodbye to St. Johns, hello to the Michigan State Capitol
ST. JOHNS — Hundreds of people flocked to downtown St. Johns Friday morning to watch the spruce tree, planted long ago by Roy and Vera Bailey, begin its journey to the State Capitol.
The Baileys passed away decades ago, but their grandchildren Melinda Motz and Mike Robinson, and great-grandchildren Kelly Knight and Monica Matthews — all lifelong Clinton County residents — watched the stately, 63-foot spruce tree be cut down and loaded onto a truck from across the street.
"Our family has a tradition of going to the Capitol on Christmas Day to take a picture of us all in front of the tree, so this year, we're going to take a tripod," Motz said.
City residents, including school children and seniors, gathered in the 200 block of State Street to watch as workers severed the tree with a chainsaw before a crane operator lifted it over Motz's grandparents' former home — now, recently renovated into apartments — and toward a flat bed semi-trailer.
Officials said the annual Capitol tree is typically harvested in Michigan's Upper Peninsula; this year marks the first time it has come from St. Johns.
And the city produced a crowd for the occasion. Bands from Fowler High School and St. Johns High School performed the national anthem and, fittingly, "Timber" by Kesha. The St. Johns color guard performed for the procession. And school children from St. Joseph Catholic School took a break from classes to watch the event — chanting "cut that tree," in unison.
Mike Turnquist, senior deputy director for the state's Department of Technology, Management and Budget, which coordinates the harvest annually, said it's always fun to see communities embrace the event.
"There's always a good story. People nominate their trees and then we have to make sure that it's the right dimensions and height, and go through a period where we make that selection. But we love days like today when the whole community comes out — the bands, the speakers, the mayor. It's just a great event," Turnquist said.
The tree was nominated by Mary Ann and Caitlin Beck, a mother and daughter business duo, who now own the 208 E. State St. property where the tree stood. The spruce was encroaching upon the home, with roots running up against its foundation and limbs swinging into the structure, Mary Ann Beck said.
"We bought the property this past spring, and the previous owner mentioned that the state of Michigan was interested in the tree," she said. "It's an honor to be able to say our tree is the official state Christmas tree."
The tree was scheduled to be transported to the Capitol where, on Saturday, Boy Scout troops will untie the tree, an annual tradition. The tree will be put in place near the intersection of Capitol and East Michigan avenues.
The Michigan Capitol Commission and the Lansing Board of Water and Light will handle lighting design and it will be lit on Nov. 18 at the 38th Annual Silver Bells in the City event.
The Michigan Association of Timbermen, the Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association and DTMB's Christmas tree crew all assisted.
Elvira Martínez-Jones has lived in St. Johns her entire life and said she remembers walking by the tree on her way to school as a girl.
"To see the community come together with so much excitement ... everybody's just so excited. And we've got people from St. Johns going to the Capitol," Martínez-Jones said. "That's huge."
Contact reporter Jared Weber at 517-582-3937 or jtweber@lsj.com.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Michigan Capitol Christmas tree is a spruce from St. Johns
