The community is invited to a new holiday tradition.

By Mary O’KEEFE

The annual lighting ceremony of the La Crescenta Christmas tree will be on Tuesday, Dec. 5 at 6:30 p.m. at the La Crescenta Library.

Three years ago, Robbyn Battles, then-president of the Crescenta Valley Town Council, wanted a holiday celebration that was specific to La Crescenta. She found the La Crescenta Library as the perfect spot to have a community tree. Even though she is no longer part of CVTC, Battles still organizes the event with the La Crescenta Christmas Tree Committee.

The event has become a real community effort. Ron Smith will donate the Christmas tree, which will be about 20 feet tall, and community members, including CVTC President Harry Leon and council member Lisa Griffin, will help decorate.  

“ASTER has taken the lead [for the event],” Battles said.

ASTER (Assisting Seniors Through Enhanced Resources) is an organization that focuses on meeting the needs of senior citizens.

“This year we have a tree in the library with [donation] cards for seniors,” Battles said.

Similar to gift programs that have donation cards for children in need, the tree in the La Crescenta Library has cards from seniors with their “wish list” for gifts.

“This is Be a Santa to a Senior,” Battles said of the program. “Many seniors go without any gifts at the [holidays] and some without even a visit from a relative.”

The program is sponsored by Home Instead Senior Care. Battles said trees with the names of seniors are placed throughout the valley area and, this year, there are about 1,500 seniors expected to fill out request cards for gifts. The Be a Santa to a Senior tree is located inside the library and Battles said the program has been well received by CV community members.

“We will be putting more cards on the tree because people are taking them quickly,” Battles said.

Each card has basic information about the senior and a request for items. Sometimes there is more than one item on a card. People can buy one gift, two or more. They then bring the unwrapped new gift to the library’s front desk along with the request card.

The tree lighting celebrates the community and is supported by Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger and the Friends of the Library. This year, American Legion Post 288 will conduct the presentation of the colors, Valley View and Dunsmore elementary schools and the Crescenta Valley “Garegin Nideh” Juniors will perform at the event.

 “Lisa [Griffin] has created cut-outs for the kids,” Battles said.

Parents will be able to take photos of their children peeking through the cut- outs. There will also be a mailbox for letters to Santa Claus.

“We are asking for letters but not for what kids want, but what they are grateful for,” Battles said.

The tree lighting is at 6:30 p.m. but the event actually begins at 4:30 p.m. with a kids magic and comedy show. At 5:30 p.m. there will be “art time” when kids can create holiday decorations and refreshments will be served beginning at 5:30 p.m.

“This ceremony means a lot to us,” Leon said. “It brings our community together.”

Battles, Leon and others began hanging garlands on the library on Wednesday and will decorate the tree over the weekend so that everything will be ready for the big celebration on Tuesday.

The California Highway Patrol will close the outside lane of westbound Foothill Boulevard in front of the library for the ceremony.
La Crescenta Library is located at 2809 Foothill Blvd., at the corner of La Crescenta Avenue and Foothill Boulevard.

  Mary Okeefe