How New Bedford’s DPI Makes the City Christmas Tree Look Perfect

Anyone who has ever put up a natural tree at Christmas knows the importance of positioning the thing to hide bald and uneven spots. That side of the tree faces the wall or the corner. Lights and some carefully arranged decorations and any imperfections are gone from view.

Imagine cutting a more than 30-foot tall Norway spruce from the woods where it grew for many years, hauling it 10.4 miles on a flatbed truck, and standing it in full public view. There are bound to be bald and uneven spots that require cosmetic assistance.

How do you make that tree presentable as the face of Christmas for the City of New Bedford?

You leave those details to the experts.

New Bedford's Christmas tree, erected on the front steps of the Free Public Library on Pleasant Street, has illuminated the downtown area for the holidays for generations. Do you remember when Mitch Miller led a community sing-along for the lighting ceremonies?

Cervelli Farm Stand of Rochester donated New Bedford's Christmas tree this year. Nadeau Tree Service of Rochester removed the tree from the woods and hauled it to New Bedford.

The police-escorted trip from Rochester took 90 minutes through back roads, along Route 6, and over the New Bedford-Fairhaven Bridge – and yes, the caravan hauling the tree had to wait while the bridge opened to allow marine traffic to pass.

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Justin Ohlson, the guy in charge of fetching and erecting New Bedford's Christmas tree for the Department of Public Infrastructure, said it took two days to get the tree out of the forest.

Since the tree is taller than any in recent memory, the wide trunk needed a shave before the tree was placed in the stand and secured to the library.

Ohlson told New Bedford Cable Network that erecting the city's tree is a "long-standing tradition," and to keep it alive is "pretty special to me."

Ohlson said once the tree is firmly attached to the library, "Bare spots need to be filled to have a nice full-looking tree." Ohlson's team used wire to attach severed branches to fill the bare spots, making the tree appear full.

"Five or six good branches will do the trick," Ohlson told NBCN.