By Brenna Angel
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wuky/local-wuky-996596.mp3
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A nearly 16-foot Christmas tree has a new home at Lexington's City Hall.
Workers from the Lexington Parks Department spent hours last week setting up and stringing lights on the Frasier Fir, and the city has had live trees in the government center lobby in years past. But the Fire Department informed officials that it could not stay inside.
"The tree is in violation of an ordinance that says you may not have a live tree in a area where the public assembles. So we're following the law and getting it out of here," says Lori Houlihan, a spokeswoman in the mayor's office.
A crew wrapped a blue tarp around the tree Friday morning, pushed it out the front window, and with the help of a crane, it was lifted onto a small balcony above the front entrance of the building.
Lending a hand with the effort was a man who knows a little bit about Christmas trees: Ron Turner, who is known for decorating his white mansion on Chinoe Road and recently helped with a tree at the Henry Clay Estate.
"We're just volunteers that want to help out to make this right. Making tragic into magic, the old saying is. It's going to work, people can enjoy it, we're going to highlight it with some lights from the building and make it very energy efficient."
The Parks Department has a $1,000 budget for Christmas decorations. The tree cost $350. After setting up the live evergreen outside, a fake tree was put in its place inside the lobby.
