Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree News

Westchester/Rockland Newsdaily published an article (originally published on The Associated Press) about the Rockefeller Center christmas tree. The article goes in to detail about people who visited the tree during the tree lighting ceremony  To read the full article click here or continue reading below.

Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting ushered in by Rod Stewart, Cee Lo Green
By: The Associated Press

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Wednesday helped light the Rockefeller Center tree, an 80-foot Norway spruce that made it through Superstorm Sandy.

Thousands of onlookers crowded behind barricades on the streets that surrounded Rockefeller Center. A video screen was provided for those who did not have a direct line of sight of the tree, which was illuminated with more than 30,000 lights and topped by a Swarovski star.

"It makes me want to sing and dance," said Zuri Young, who came several hours early with her boyfriend to watch the lighting for the first time.

MORE: Poughkeepsie to host tree lighting tonight
PHOTOS: Rockefeller tree lighting | Christmas trees of Rockefeller Center

"I've heard a lot about it. I was kind of sick of staying home and watching it on television," the 19-year-old nursing student from Queens said.

The tree came from the Mount Olive, N.J., home of Joe Balku. Balku lost power and other trees during the storm at his residence about an hour outside of Manhattan.

The tree was taken from his home in November. It had been there for years, measuring about 22 feet tall in 1973 when Balku bought the house. It's now 50 feet in diameter and weighs 10 tons.

"It's an experience that I cannot get back home," said Freyja Shairp, a 22-year-old from Sidney, Australia, who is working in the U.S. temporarily. She said she hadn't planned to come, but was in the neighborhood.

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Finding Strength and Solace in a Tree

American Forests Magazine has featured an article called, Finding Strength and Solace in a Tree. The article talks about Evelyn Thompson Lawrence's story about Sallie's Crying Tree. To read the full article see below or click here.

Finding Strength and Solace in a Tree
By: Jeff Kirwan

Evelyn Thompson Lawrence’s story is about Sallie’s Crying Tree, a large white oak growing near the town square in Marion, Virginia. This remarkable woman has spent a lifetime reminding people that this tree — and others like it — represents our history and must be preserved.

Lawrence often says that if the Crying Tree could talk it would tell us that slavery was brutal, that people were sold like horses and dogs, that life was especially hard on black men and women. But it would also tell how valiant people are, how former slaves built communities and how their descendants are today’s leaders.

Marion is not the obvious place to expect this kind of lesson. A small town, it is nestled in the valley between the Blue Ridge and Appalachian Mountains of southwest Virginia. It is a gateway to Jefferson National Forest and Mount Rogers National Recreation Area. Hungry Mother State Park is nearby. The town is known for its Appalachian culture and music, but not for its once-thriving, African-American community.

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Monster Tree Service Featured on Mo.com

Monster Tree Service has been featured in an article posted on Mo.com. The article features a Q&A between Mo and Founder and CEO of Monster Tree Service, Josh Skolnick. To read the full article click here.

Monster Tree Service

Written by MO

Monster Tree Service (MTS) is professional tree restoration, pruning and removal service founded in Fort Washington, Pa. MTS provides skilled, reliable tree management experts to assist customers with the best possible tree care solutions, while giving prospective franchisees a rock solid reliable system to duplicate and grow their businesses.

Founded by Josh Skolnick in 2008, MTS quickly became a multimillion dollar business built on fast and trustworthy service customers could rely on for safe and solution-oriented tree care. It has since become a franchise opportunity for business professionals seeking a duplicable system designed to meet the high-demand service of tree care. For further information, visit the website at www.whymonster.com.

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White Birch Trees: Beautiful Bark, No Bite

Life123.com has an article about the history and uses of birch trees. To read the full article see below or click here.

White Birch Trees: Beautiful Bark, No Bite
By: Kim Willis

Birch trees have been long been a popular landscape choice. There are species of birch growing throughout North America, Europe and temperate Asia. Birch trees have a graceful shape, interesting bark and good fall color. They are not the best choice for all landscapes, but if the conditions are suitable, there are few trees prettier than a birch.

North Americans tend to think of birches as clumps of small trees with white, peeling bark. These clumps were widely planted as landscape trees before the arrival of the Bronze Birch Borer. This destructive beetle attacks and kills many types of birch trees, but white-barked birches from Europe are the most susceptible. However, there are many types of birch and some are very resistant to borers and are seldom attacked if they are healthy.

Birch trees are generally small, 20 to30 feet tall and pyramidal in shape. There are some weeping varieties. Birch leaves are thick, glossy and dark green in a rough triangle shape. There are some cultivated varieties with purple or reddish leaves. Birch leaves are lighter on the reverse side, have serrated edges and are arranged alternately. Some varieties have deeply lobed leaves with a lacy appearance. Fall color of birches is generally a good, clear yellow. Birch trees have both male and female flowers; the male flowers are long, dangling and generally in clusters of threes. The female flowers are much smaller and rounder. The pollen of birch trees is highly allergenic to people with seasonal allergies.

The bark of birch trees is the reason many are planted as landscape trees. When young, most birch trees have brown bark, but as some age they may get various shades of white, yellow or red bark that peels and curls, revealing contrasting colors beneath it.

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