Friday, February 3, 2017

Reader mailbag: A call to keep the lights on the holiday tree in Tompkins Square Park


[Photo from Tuesday]

EVG regular Jose Garcia writes in:

I've been wondering whether you think there might be any sympathy for keeping the holiday tree in Tompkins Square Park lit beyond the holiday season.

Not sure who (Parks Department?) is responsible for it but for me at least it's become something of a beacon of hope and the beauty of our neighborhood given the toxic political atmosphere.

I'm guessing it would be a matter of costs and also perhaps it would be unhealthy for the tree?

The lights usually remain illuminated until some time in February... like in 2009, it was Feb. 7... in 2014, it was Feb. 17.

It was pretty nice to see it lit up that one St. Patrick's Day.
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11 comments:

  1. AnonymousFebruary 3, 2017 at 7:04 AM

    I vote yes!

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousFebruary 3, 2017 at 10:32 AM

    Save the electricity. Save the planet. Stop cutting down trees.

    ReplyDelete
  3. CosmoFebruary 3, 2017 at 11:38 AM

    Seeing as how they leave the lights on the tree all year anyway, may as well keep them on.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousFebruary 3, 2017 at 1:21 PM

    Let's ask the smart kids at Cooper Union (or somewhere?) to set up a solar panel/box so these cheerful lights can run off of the grid. Just a thought!

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousFebruary 3, 2017 at 2:29 PM

    I dunno, I think it's nice that it's there just for the holidays and part of the winter. That's what makes it special. If it's always on, that's boring.

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousFebruary 3, 2017 at 6:45 PM

    @2:29pm: Not ALWAYS on, just in the dark dreary days of winter.

    ReplyDelete
  7. AnonymousFebruary 3, 2017 at 7:17 PM

    I think it would be nice to have the lights on a bit longer, through more of the winter. I don't know how much of a cost this is in regards to electricity. Does anyone know? Maybe the lights could be solar powered like another poster suggested. It's worth proposing the idea to the parks department.

    ReplyDelete
  8. AnonymousFebruary 3, 2017 at 7:47 PM

    I like the idea, but it really might be weird in the summer — especially on a movie night.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Jose GarciaFebruary 3, 2017 at 9:05 PM

    i guess we were thinking more along these lines:


    Anonymous said... @2:29pm: Not ALWAYS on, just in the dark dreary days of winter.

    The solar panel idea is a great one.

    xo

    ReplyDelete
  10. DrGeckoFebruary 4, 2017 at 9:07 AM

    Against. It doesn't make any sense. The purpose of the holiday lights is to induce the sun to come back. Once we're much past the solstice, their work is done and there's no point in keeping them.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Eden BeeFebruary 4, 2017 at 8:21 PM

    FUNNKIBERRYGATE!

    ReplyDelete

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