Herbie in Winter (Photo by Randy Billmeier)
NEW YORK, Jan. 9 (UPI) — A 70-year-old Norway spruce, this year’s Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center in New York, is to return to Connecticut as lumber for affordable homes.
The tree, almost 80 feet high, was taken down Thursday night and cut up by a milling machine Friday, the Stamford Advocate reported. The wood is to be used in an eight-unit condominium being built by Habitat for Humanity in Stamford.
Iveth Bowie, who is to occupy one of the condos, came to New York to watch.
“It’s like Christmas continues shining in my house,” Bowie said. “It’s so beautiful that this has a place in my house.”
Torsilieri Inc. of Far Hills, N.J., took the tree down and cut off the branches to be fed into a wood-chipper to make surfacing for nature trails. The trunk was cut into sections before being sawed into planks.
This year’s tree was donated by Maria Corti of Easton, Conn. Rockefeller Center has contributed trees to Habitat for Humanity for the past three years.
Herbie in Winter (Photo by Randy Billmeier)