On December 7, 1985, which was a Saturday, nearly 200 people gathered on Waitsburg’s Main Street to celebrate a new community event and take part in a drawing for cash prizes and gift certificates from local merchants.

As The Times reported the next week, “Mayor Tom Baker (who was also The Times’ publisher at the time) plugged the tree in at about 7:30 p.m. The Waitsburg Chancel Choir and the Youth Choir sang ‘Jesus Knows Me, This I Love.’” (I think that’s a typo – either that or it’s a different song than the one I remember.)

“Our Hometown Christmas” was put on for the first time that year –...