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To the editor: The purpose of this letter is to bring to the attention of spectators a concern by school officials regarding unsportsman like conduct at athletic events.
Virginia High School
What Then,
To Do?
To the editor:
After quite a few hours spent overhauling numerous strings of lights formerly used on the tree between the erstwhile fire house and the bank (and the expenditure of over S29 for new bulbs) and securing from several generous lenders additional strings made necessary by the expanding corpulence of the growing evergreen, and, finally, devoting a day to installing the lights with the absolutely indispensable help of the “Hyster”, plus Ernest Fletcher to operate it, which Tommy Starks made available without charge as a goodwill gesture, it was very disappointing to find that the wiring wouldn’t cooperate. True, the evening of the ceremonial lighting it gamely suffered the lights to glow until the spectators had departed before it “blew”, but it was not about to keep the tree iighted for 6 hours during the twelve evenings of the Christmas season, even though there was nary a light on the back of the tree. In other words, heavier wiring to withstand heavier fusing is required.
Since a great many towns would not be without a Christmas tree and our county seat has been one of those. quite properly, (imagine Washington’s founder’s dismay if there were no siich charming reminder of the Christmas story in the town he brought into being almost 232 years ago), it seems reasonable to ask the following questions: isn't a lighted Christmas tree a heart-warming symbol of the season that ends our year? Shouldn’t that symbol reflect the unique character of the town to which it adds a welcome Christmas grace? and Isn't that character a heritage to be remembered with happy commitment each year as in the past?
If these are fair questions, and there is enough support for the feeling that Christmas is indeed a special time and an elegant tree, prettily lighted, is a desirable reflection of the joy and good will of the season, then perhaps the following observations will be received kindly and productively: the present tree is on privately owned land complete with septic tank and field which makes the use of capable equipment (a “must” to facilitate decorating it in a reasonable span of time) wellnigh impossible, certainly risky; the cost of lighting it for 12 evenings a year, even with the present inadequate wiring falls on a private citizen; its curvilinear contours today bear little resemblance to the traditional tree (its teenage slimness being a thing of the past) and the most sanguine projections can only forecast more of the same, presenting a bleak picture of less and less charm and more and more difficulty in adorning it.
What, then, to do? The writer would like to present an answer to that dilemma next week in this same forum.
WALDRON O’CONNOR
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