Pa. city won’t dump ‘ugly’ Christmas tree
Reading residents not happy with 'ugly' Christmas tree
Residents look on during the Christmas tree lighting in Reading, Pennsylvania, Friday, Nov. 21, 2014. Reading's spindly 50-foot spruce drew the ire of residents who said it was ruining their holiday spirit. On Monday, Nov. 24, City Council President Francis Acosta ordered work halted to replace the tree. (AP Photo/Reading Eagle, Ben Hasty)
READING, Pa. — A Christmas tree that some residents of a Pennsylvania city had maligned as ugly will remain in its prominent downtown location after all.
The Reading City Council president had ordered the removal of the spindly spruce after residents said it was ruining their holiday spirit. The 50-foot tree was supposed to be replaced by a more impressive tree. City workers had started removing the tree’s decorations Monday when City Council President Francis Acosta ordered the work halted.
It’s not clear what prompted him to change his mind but some residents had thought the tree should stay.
The episode has inspired comparisons to the plot of “A Charlie Brown Christmas.”
