Win Davis, operations manager, and volunteer Sarah Welch among the 100s of wreaths they put up.
The weather the day before Thanksgiving was far from frightful and was actually so delightful that the Town Green Special Services District took advantage of it to hang the traditional downtown Holiday wreaths.
A seemingly inexhaustible Winfield Davis, director of operations for the Town Green Special Services District, was spotted working solo on Chapel Street late Tuesday night — but by Wednesday morning he was joined by some civic-minded civilian volunteers. Guilford resident Attorney Sarah Welch and Town Green Ambassadors Robbie Williams and Dennis Keating pitched in to help. First they had to retrieve the wreaths from storage, dust them off, fluff them up, decorate them, and then string them with tiny white lights. They then braved the heights on 12-foot ladders while being jostled by strong gusts of wind that swept through town that day. But on the whole, reported Davis, the entire operation went very smoothly.
Downtown Ambassadors Robbie Williams (left) and Dennis Keating (right).
When asked why she came all the way from Guilford to help decorate New Haven’s streets Welch said, “I’m proud to spend a day volunteering to work toward the beautification of New Haven for the holidays. So much goes into making this a festive place and I can’t wait to come back downtown at night and admire all our hard work.”
The result was indeed spectacular, as more than 100 city utility poles where adorned with the nostalgic 36-inch diameter ornaments. The annual tradition of hanging wreaths is a non-secular one that symbolizes prosperity, good cheer, and an eternal circle of time with no beginning and no end. Some homes and businesses keep wreaths up all year round, in fact, to add warmth and charm.
But in addition to the traditional wreaths — which are decorated with more than 3,300 twinkling lights — there are also 33 six-foot tall snowflake ornaments illuminated by some 2,000 LED lights. Last but not least, utility poles on Orange and Chapel Street were literally wrapped for the holidays with approximately 600 feet of pine roping, which is enough to stretch across two football fields.
“It felt like we were wrapping up the city as one big present to itself,” said one of the volunteers. “This is the kind of stuff that kicks off the holiday season the right way by getting everyone in the spirit.”
The beautiful and inspiring decorations will remain up through the end of January, and it took a total of at least 120 man hours to get them all into place. But the labor of love does not go unnoticed by residents and visitors.
“It is the way I remember things in our town when I was growing up,” said Paul Batemen, an Orange, Connecticut resident who came to shop in New Haven on Friday. Batemen, who sported bags from Seychelles Dress Store and Raggs clothing shop (which are both located on Chapel Street) said that the decorations were the first thing that he noticed as he was walking in and out of the stores. “I think when a town devotes the time and effort – and of course money – to cheer up their streets and sidewalks then it is a place I am willing to spend some money,” he said.
“The decorations help me get in the holiday mood,” commented Dr. Barbara Kirrane, a Yale emergency room physician who lives at 360 State Street. “They inspire me to walk around more downtown, and of course it never fails that when I spend more time walking around I end up spending more money.”
There is certainly a lot for pedestrians and shoppers to see, hear, and taste as part of the New Haven holiday experience. To encourage the spirit of the season, for example, businesses are offering a unique Holiday Cheers Gift with Purchase Program.
The way it works is that anyone who spends at least $50 downtown is entitled to a voucher from INFO New Haven that can be redeemed for a free drink at a participating downtown restaurant. Spend $100 or more and enjoy a gift voucher for a free movie at Criterion Theater, and those who contribute $200 or more to our downtown economy through this kind of shopping are eligible for both a drink and a movie pass. To participate in the program sales receipts must be redeemed at 1000 Chapel Street (INFO New Haven). Visit the website for more information and details.
This year marks the 12th year that the Town Green Special Services District has been responsible for the season’s decorations, holiday festivities, and special downtown events. Those include horse and buggy rides, free popcorn, hot cider, and hot peanuts served curbside at the corner of College and Chapel. Another holiday special attraction will happened every Thursday night from December 2nd through the 16th late as stroller carolers will sing along the downtown streets, occasionally popping into local shops to entertain customers. According to Town Green Special Services Executive Director Rena Masten, over 40,000 people participated in these celebrations last year.
Town Green is always looking for civic-minded people who are interested in donating some time to assist with district projects. In 2010, for instance, volunteers at Town Green events helped with three cleanups of the New Haven Green and two on Union Avenue. Volunteers also painted more than 25 light poles in the district and 10 litter receptacles.
Town Green Special Services District is a self sustaining nonprofit organization that relies on a tax that the property owners in the district have imposed on themselves, over and above their regular property taxes. There are four other Special Services districts in New Haven that primarily serve the interests of business owners and other stakeholders in their respective areas.
But as Winfield Davis explains, “While we are fortunate to have 13 paid Ambassadors on staff at the INFO Center – plus our safety and maintenance team – we also rely on and appreciate our volunteers.”
Anyone who wants to volunteer is welcome, and if they will please send an .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), he will be more than happy to share more information about volunteer opportunities.