Trees

Jeff Green | Dec 18, 2008

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Christmas Art Contest

Christmas Cakeby John Diamond

Christmas Messageby Rev. Jean Brown

Christmas Celebrations:a Photo Gallery

Early Literacy:Christmas Books

Festival Of Trees

How Chanuka Saved Christmas

Interview with Maryby Pastor Jeff Nault

Legalese:Holiday Legal Quiz

Prince Charles Students Talk about Christmas

Recipes

Remounting ofa Long Short Story

The Special Giftby Hope Attaway

Festival of Trees Chair Elinor Bailey and Treasurer Mary Chiarot.

The popular Festival of Trees was back again this year after a one - year hiatus.

Presented by Villages Beautiful at the Oso Hall in Sharbot Lake, the event is the group’s largest fundraiser of the year and is a perennial crowd pleaser.

Elinore Baily has been the chair of Villages Beautiful for three years, and she helped steer the event as it made a triumphant comeback.

“We didn’t really worry whether people would still want to attend after our year off,” Elinore said, “because the phone rang off the hook last year with people wondering why the festival wasn’t happening. We tried running a dance instead last year and it was not as successful as the Festival of Trees. The public response was wonderful this year. People really enjoy the Festival.”

Villages Beautiful helps to fund projects in the small villages in Central Frontenac; including Arden, Parham, Tichborne, Sharbot Lake, Crow Lake and Mountain Grove, with beautification projects that each community individually formulates. Villages Beautiful projects in the past have included public benches, signage and gardens of shrubs, trees and flowers.

Local businesses and individuals from these villages were invited to purchase and decorate trees and to enter other seasonal items like wreaths and gingerbread houses in a number of entry categories at the festival.

A panel of judges then decided who the winners were.

The festival’s “kick off lunch” was held in Sharbot Lake last Thursday at the Sharbot Lake Country Inn and 70 people attended the event. Winners were announced for the various entry categories, which included gingerbread houses, wreaths, wall hangings and the “anything goes category.”

Rosemarie Bowick was presented with an award at the lunch in recognition for her hard work.

She commented, “I was honored and really flattered. I just couldn’t say a word. It was awesome.”

Event Secretary Doris Campsall was pleased to point out that thanks to Canadian Tire franchise owner Dennis McCullough, who is originally from Tichborne, all of the trees in the festival this year were donated by The Canadian Tire in Belleville, which was a huge boost for the event.

The event was widely attended and the Oso Hall was transformed into a seasonal winter wonderland with twinkling trees, glittering wreaths, and gorgeous gingerbread houses.

The sounds of local live musical entertainment brought the hall alive throughout the three day event. All the while a steady stream of people filtered through the hall, buying and signing tickets to be placed into the boxes in front of each item. A draw took place at Oso Hall on Saturday afternoon and the lucky winners took home all of the entry items.

In addition to raising funds to Villages Beautiful, the Festival raised $1100 along with food donations for the North Frontenac Food Bank.

Although the Villages Beautiful executive will not meet until April to decide if they will run the festival again in 2009, it seems that as the result of public demand the annual Festival of Trees event is likely here to stay.

7.5 foot trees: Lake District Realty & W.A.Robinson’s Let it Snow (which placed 1st) was taken home by Jeff Lee. Sharbot Lake Family Health Team’s Warm Country Wishes (2nd) to Gail Lewis.

6 foot trees: North Frontenac Telephone’s Down Home Christmas (1st) to Cheryl Armstrong. The Royal Bank’s Winter Wonderland (2nd) to Nancy Whan. Sharbot Lake Pharmacy’s Tree Top Glistens (3rd) to Keegan Love. North Frontenac Little Theatre’s A White Christmas went to Bob Pollard. Sharbot Lake Seniors Home’s Memories of Christmas to Ann Goodfellow.

4 foot trees: 1st -Gloria McKinstry’s A Frosty Winter Day (at left) to Ron Henry. Cottage Country Landscape’s A Rustic Christmas (2nd) to Anita Moyst. The Arden Happy Gang’s Santa's Village Workshop (3rd) to Brian Scott. Tip Top Dollar Shop’s Red & White Christmas to Wanda Harrison. The Rising Bun’s The Gingerbread Tree to Brianna Drew. Treasure Trunk’s Village of Angels to Cristina Beaushaw. Village Palettes’ Signs of the Season to Riley Teal. The Frontenac Masonic Lodge’s Geometree to Lorraine Pickett. Sharbot Lake Dental Office’s Healthy Gum Tree to Dara-Lynn Matson. Angie Mallett & Friends’ Friendship Tree to Dawn Gillam.

Gingerbread Houses: 1st - Stephen Duggan Law Office’s Old Country Home (at left) to Elizabeth Laraby. Amelia & Derek Redmond’s Christmas Eve Service (2nd)to Daisy Vinkle. Northern Connections’ Pirates of the North Pole (3rd) to Keegan Bertrim-Teal. Ilona Cox’s A Barnyard Christmas to Steph Stinson. Joel & Hillary Howes’ Winter in Egypt to Chava Field-Green.

Wall Hangings & Wreaths: 1st - Arden TOPS’ Home for the Holidays (at left) to Betty Milson. Dragon Fly Herbs’ From the Garden (2nd) to Claire Graves. Gloria McKinstry’s Bounty of Christmas (3rd) to Pat Whan. Gray's Grocery’s Merry Christmas to Eva Coldwell. Lorraine Pickett ‘s Angus in the Village to Allison Board. Parham Happy Travelers’ Golden Moments to Janet Gutowski. Anne Howitt’s The Village Runner to Mardi Brown. North Frontenac Community Services’ Children's Christmas Darius Whan. Day Away Program’s (Parham) Let it Snow to Michelle Echlin.

Anything Goes: Clip It Hair Salon’s True Christmas (1st) to Kim Harper. Knowlers Plumbing’s Santa's Sweets (2nd) to Mona Winter-burn. Sharbot Lake TOPS’ From Our Family to Yours (3rd) to Lou Cucoch. Fit Plus’s Villagers' Treats to Martina Field. Chiarot Development Group’s Photography to Andrea. North Frontenac Pet Supplies’ Home Tweet Home to Keegan Bertrim-Teal. Sharbot Lake Country Inn’s Sleigh Bells Ring to Doug Steele. Deerwood Catering’s A Green Christmas to Christina Wotherspoon. Sharbot Lake High School’s Santa's Little Helpers' Stash to Sidney Drew. The Royal Canadian Legion’s Wine & Dine to Cory Thompson. Chris Bertrim’s Holiday Cheer to Ina Hunt-Turner. Ram's Esso Gift Certificates to Andrea. Arden Batik’s Christmas Angels to K. Wolsey. Pam Giroux’s Kissing Ball to Pat Whan.