By Steve Bigham

Ram Pasture was the place to be last Friday night as hundreds showed up for the annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony put on by the Chamber of Commerce and the Parks & Recreation Department.

And, once again, the center of town was aglow in lights as Main Street, Elm Drive and Glover Avenue were all lined with luminaria. Nothing more than candles inside bags full of sand, the luminaria create a mood that can bring out the holiday spirit in even the more ardent Scrooge.

At about 6:30 pm the crowd began to stir, and with a cue from master of ceremonies Janet Woycik, the crowd began the countdown, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6… Then, with a flick of the switch from Wayland and Diana Johnson, the lights on the tree went on, prompting a cheer from the crowd. Newtown’s Christmas 1999 had arrived.

The tree, with its new lights, looked much better than it did on November 1, the day after it was covered with toilet paper by mischievous trick-or-treaters.

Moments later, Santa and Mrs Claus arrived and were quickly surrounded by a mass of curious onlookers seeking a moment of their time. Others chose to meander along the banks of Hawley Pond, while friends mingled before heading home for dinner.

Thanks to another mild evening, the turnout was believed to be around 1,000 people.

The music was provided by the Newtown High School band and choral group, including a duet by Greg Simoneau and Kate Yackel, both seniors.

Union Savings Bank and People’s Bank once again served coffee, cider and donuts. Newtown Hook & Ladder and Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps were also on hand, as was bus driver Bob McCullough, who transported people to and from the parking lot at Dickinson Park.

This year, police prohibited cars from parking along Elm Drive, which made for a longer walk, but alleviated a lot of the congestion evident at last year’s event.

Later in the evening, all was quiet in the center of town. The music had died down and the people had long since left. But the luminaria remained lit, still flickering in the calm December wind. And above it all stood the town’s majestic Christmas tree, promising to stay lit until well after the holiday has passed.

This year’s tree lighting ceremony received a big boost from local businesses who contributed more than $3,000 to help pay for the lights. Another $2,000 was raised as part of the “Lights of Remembrance” fund-raiser.

Mr and Mrs Johnson were chosen to light this year’s tree as a way of saying thanks for bringing the event to life. The Newtown couple had seen similar events during trips to Europe and helped get things started in here in town back in 1984. The Johnsons, with the help of Janet Woycik, are credited with designating the tree at the Ram Pasture as the town’s Christmas tree.