Bill and T.K. Whalen

To the editor,

Sanbornton Square will be dark this Christmas. You see, children, Sanbornton does not have a town tree at the square because supposedly there are issues involving getting electricity to it. The bandstand at the old town hall no longer has electrical service.

For several years, Heritage Farms — a local business — has kindly agreed to host a townwide holiday event at their establishment. They provide a venue free of charge and put up a tree with lights. Now, while it is a very kind gesture to do this, it is NOT the SANBORNTON town Christmas tree. Citizens of Sanbornton should not have to go to Heritage Farm to see their town tree — they should be able to see one right in the town square where it belongs.

We have been told by our selectmen that there would have to be someone to organize this town square event — and we would need donations to provide the electricity, the tree and the decorations. Given that we live among acres of Christmas trees, I doubt if getting a little tree to put in the town square would really be a problem. And couldn't everyone make or bring one or two decorations to put on our town tree? Even if there were no lights until we found a kind electrician to donate the electrical work, couldn't we just decorate the little tree and sing some carols anyway? And wouldn't it be nice to see our Christmas tree as we passed through the town square?

Now as for organizing this event, shouldn't it be sponsored by the recreation commission and executed by the person in charge of recreation? Given that the selectmen are currently considering an unbelievable raise in the salary for the town recreational director's position, and given that we are going to continue the luxury of this position even in these times of severe economic hardship, shouldn't one of the director's responsibilities be to organize the town Christmas tree lighting? This doesn't seem too unreasonable — does it?

But until then, guess it's just too bad for us — guess our $95,000 recreation budget doesn't have room for a little tree of our very own. And even though Christmas comes only once a year and almost every town in New Hampshire (especially the smaller ones) has a tree in their town square, Sanbornton must be reduced to somebody's stepchild — the "poor relation" who will have to go somewhere else for their tree lighting. Sorry Children . . . Sorry Sanbornton! Shame on us!

Bill and T.K. Whalen

Sanbornton