The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

WAITSBURG - The Waitsburg FFA has come up with a new way to spread Christmas cheer through the town.

Students and FFA mem­bers Heidi Miller and Kim Hamann asked the Waits­burg City Council last Thursday whether it would a Festival of Trees event to run from Dec. 2, to coincide with Hometown Christmas, and to end Dec. 31.

"It's something bright and special," Miller said.

FFA Adviser Nicole Abel said the topic of the Festival of Trees came up at a meeting and all of the students liked the idea and voted to try to make it hap­pen this year to give back to the community.

"The FFA is a service oriented organization and the officers have been look­ing to add another com­munity service event to their program of activities," Abel said.

She added last Monday the FFA already has six individuals, businesses or families signed up.

The plan is to invite clubs, businesses and fami­lies to purchase a Christ­mas tree that meets the requirements and decorate it and display it in town. FFA will provide extension cords, trees and tree stands and all of the trees would be lit and judged on Dec. 2. The tree stands are being constructed by the senior ag metals class at the high school, Abel said.

The official lighting would be planned for 7:30 p.m., following the Home­town Christmas parade. Judging would be done before the lighting at 7 p.m. and a trophy will be given out for first place.

The FFA will charge a small registration fee of $15 to be part of the fes­tival.

"This competition is an activity to bring our com­munity together and make it more festive during the holidays, and to show that the school and FFA partici­pates in making the town look great," Miller said in a letter to the council.

The FFA asked the council to help it clarify the height limit of the trees, how power could be sup­plied and Miller asked if the city could help dispose of the trees after Dec. 31.

The initial idea was to have the Festival of Trees located in the city park, but the council members said they believed putting the trees on Main Street, where they could be more visible, was a better idea.

The trees could be re­quired to have a trunk width of 1.25 inches to fit into the holes for the flag poles on Main Street. The height of the trees was recommended to be 6 to 8 feet.

"Obviously, we're for it," Mayor Walt Gobel told the students. "There's a good possibility this could become an annual event. Let's run with it."

To be part of the festival, call Abel at 509-337-6351.