BRIDGTON — For many years Carmen Lone and the folks at the Bridgton Community Center have been the staple to Bridgton’s Festival of Lights. Each year a donated tree was used for the festival. For many of those years Nancy and Raymond Dunn of Denmark had donated a tree from their tree farm, until last year when they closed down the farm to retire. A tree that was to be removed from the front of Lake Region High School was given to the community center for the 2010 festivities.

Shortly after last year’s Festival of Lights, Lone and Recreation Director Tom Tash began working on a permanent tree to be planted at the site. Over the course of the year the two worked out the details, tracking down the only company in the area with the equipment to complete the task, Whitney Trees of New Gloucester. “They were recommended to me by a half dozen area tree service companies,” Tash said. “Their spade truck is one of a few of its kind in the state.”

Wanting to thank the family that had donated so many trees to the community, Lone and Tash met with the Dunns to pick out the perfect tree. On Oct. 12, the process of moving the tree began and within two hours David MacDonald, owner of Whitney Trees, had personally dug and planted the tree at its new home in front of the Bridgton Community Center on Depot Street.

The lighting of the tree for this year’s Festival of Lights will take place Saturday, Dec. 3.

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