Arborist Luke Lermond cuts the trunk of a balsam fir free as it is held up by a crane at a home on Florida Avenue in Portland on Thursday.
Portland arborist Luke Lermond pushes on the trunk of the balsam fir as it is lowered onto a trailer on Florida Avenue on Thursday. The fir, this year's Portland Christmas tree, was trucked to Monument Square and set up by the city's arborists.
Jonathan Donahue of Keeley Crane guides the 48-foot balsam fir as a crane operator moves it into position to be lowered onto a trailer. The tree was trucked to Monument Square by Shaw Brothers and set in place by arborists with the Portland Parks & Recreation forestry division.
Jonathan Donahue of Keeley Crane directs the crane operator lowering the tree onto a trailer.
Arborist Troy Derouche ties down branches of the 48-foot-tall balsam fir before it is trucked to Monument Square on Thursday.
Arborist Luke Lermond pulls on branches as they are tied down so that they won't hit utility lines along the route to Monument Square.
Portland Arborist Jack Masery runs a support cable from the trunk of the tree being set in Monument Square on Thursday.
Nancy Arey Cohen holds branches of the tree while arborists set it up in Monument Square. Her mother, who planted the tree 35 years ago, died in June. A few days before she died, she talked with Arey Cohen about how she regretted that one of her trees had never made it to Monument Square. "And now it has," said Arey Cohen. "It's a Christmas miracle for me, it really is."
Charles and Edith Arey, in 2005 at their 50th wedding anniversary (Photo courtesy of Nancy Arey Cohen)
Luke Lermond, an arborist with the city of Portland, uses a throw ball to check whether the tree is plumb as it is set in Monument Square on Thursday.
Portland arborist Jeff Tarling gives branches from this year's Monument Square Christmas tree to Nancy Arey Cohen, whose mother planted the tree 35 years ago at their home on Florida Avenue. Arey Cohen said her mother, who died in June, had always hoped that the tree would someday become Portland's Christmas tree.
Nancy Arey Cohen with her parents, Charles and Edith Arey, in 2006
This year's Portland Christmas tree is reflected in a window of David's Restaurant in Monument Square as it is secured in place by city arborists Thursday.
Arborist Jack Masery runs a support cable from the tree. Workers with the Portland Parks and Recreation forestry division will set lights on the tree Friday and it will be lit up the day after Thanksgiving. The traditional lighting ceremony is canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but Portland Downtown has a set up a “tree cam” in Monument Square so people can see the tree lit and view it online anytime.
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