After my nearly 30 years of Christmas memories in New Auburn, the view crossing the Little Androscoggin into downtown has been changed forever.

While some may not fully understand the notion of neighborhoods having their own brand, New Auburn’s history, from its annexation as part of Danville and French Canadian settlement to the great fire and flood of the 1930s has created a proud, tight-knit community.

Over the years, this pride has manifested most often as a chip on the shoulder, as community members observe transformations happening elsewhere. The continued economic decline of the commercial district and income stagnation of residents has failed to garner to same attention as other Auburn neighborhoods, in particular those studied and invested in following the acceptance of Auburn’s Downtown Action Plan for Tomorrow, or ADAPT.

Sure, city councilors have effectively lobbied for some easy changes. New sidewalks and the acquisition and renovation of downtown buildings by the Auburn Housing Authority have occurred. And while building more low-income and elderly housing is not easy in the same sense as putting down some granite curbing on sidewalks, the hard changes involve culture and attractiveness for investment and quality of life in a neighborhood.

New Auburn, with its distinctive commercial core, once had its own business association that would network and support each other and promote the community. Most of those businesses are long gone.

St. Jean Baptiste Day, a major Franco-American holiday, was once celebrated in downtown L-A with much fanfare and even a major parade. This parade and festival focused community attention on Little Canada and New Auburn; it was their moment in the spotlight.

And so this past week brought to closure another era in that history, the removal of New Auburn’s Christmas tree. From my childhood growing up on South Main Street, it always started to feel more like the Christmas season once the lights on that tall evergreen were turned on.

We could debate the health of the tree, or whether the city could have done more to save it. There are other symptoms at play here of a bigger disease that doesn’t destroy trees but does weaken community.

This situation could have played out in two different ways, in my opinion. The first is how we have observed it to date. A building developer, the Auburn Housing Authority, has interest in enhanced landscaping in front of their new building; a tall, unhealthy tree blocks the view from some apartments; the city wants a Christmas tree for its holiday celebrations.

The city and housing authority knew there would be an outcry from long time residents, and they were armed with talking points and the support of the city councilor, Ray Berube. And now, the last time New Auburn residents will be able to see their neighborhood tree lit for Christmas, they will need to travel to Festival Plaza and the section of downtown that has gotten the lion’s share of downtown investment over the last three decades.

Recognizing the health of that tree and the underutilized space at the corner of South Main and Mill Streets that it takes up, and the strong connection of the neighborhood, the city and housing authority could have recommended some changes in this year’s holiday schedule.

Why not have the tree lighting and start of the holiday season in New Auburn, with the tree in place? If there is a parade, as in years past, why not have it travel from New Auburn to Courthouse Plaza in Lewiston via Little Canada. Drawing public attention and public events to these neighborhoods is one way to start breathing new life into them.

Yes, the logistics for one year would be different for city staffers to manage, but giving a nod to generations that have called this tree their own is well worth it.

This gesture would have been a strong demonstration from Auburn Hall that all downtown neighborhoods are important.