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New Mexico Prepares Nations' Christmas Tree
Locals prepare ornaments for nation's tree
By GARY HERRON/Observer staff reporter
With apologies to Clement Clark Moore, the original author:
"'Twas two months before Christmas,
and all through the schools,
students were preparing
nifty Christmas tree jewels."
When President Bush and his wife, Laura, throw the switch on Dec. 8 to illuminate that tree, they will likely catch a glimpse of ornaments made by local students. More than 400 ornaments were made allowing a glimpse of the state's unique culture.
"This is jolly good news for everyone, young and old, working to share New Mexico's holiday spirit with the nation," said senior U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici. "I am happy the reindeer games are over and our beautiful tree will grace the Capitol grounds."
RRPS students, as well as students throughout New Mexico, made ornaments for the 2005 Capitol Holiday Tree, a gift to the nation from New Mexico. First Lady Barbara Richardson and Education Secretary Dr. Veronica Garcia are spearheading an effort to decorate the tree with more than 5,000 ornaments made by New Mexico schoolchildren and educators.
Five area schools dove into the holiday project, despite the much-closer holiday, Halloween.
At Rio Rancho Mid-High, teachers Jackie Maese and Pia Cash's classes spent most of a week working on the project, which involved more than papier-mache and paint brushes.
"They were actually really excited," Cash said. "Each table got assigned a different pueblo in New Mexico. They did their own research and created their own design. They kind of got to create their own representation from that pueblo. They were excited it was going to D.C. to be seen, that people would be able to see this. I was pretty proud of them."
Students in Jennifer Gutierrez's art classes at Ernest Stapleton Elementary and in Cynthia Donlay's class at Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary made dozens of traditional New Mexico Ojos de Dios for the tree.
Dan Garcia's art classes at Puesta del Sol crafted traditional tin ornaments, and the Art Honor Society at Rio Rancho High School made 12 large ornaments for the tree.
Members of the Rio Rancho Rotary Club collected the ornaments and prepared them to be shipped and placed on the tree. Rotary volunteers attached the wire used to affix the ornaments to the tree, and then boxed them for shipment.
Preparing for the annual Christmas tree display in Washington wasn't as easy as it may seem.
The Forest Service had placed a hold on plans associated with cutting down the holiday tree, pending a 30-day public comment period, after Ninth Circuit Court Judge James Singleton in September issued a nationwide ruling to suspend all projects and activities using categorical exclusions from the NEPA process until project managers allow public notice, comment and the opportunity for appeal.
For weeks, Domenici and Sen. Jeff Bingaman were concerned that the national Capitol Holiday Tree might not be harvested in time from the Santa Fe National Forest.
Last Wednesday, Stapleton determined that his ruling will not interfere with the scheduled early November harvest of the tree.
"It should have been clear before that the Forest Service had every right to move ahead with plans to cut down the holiday tree," Bingaman said. "But this court ruling leaves no room for confusion. Like many other New Mexicans, I am proud that our state will be providing a beautiful tree from the Santa Fe National Forest for the holiday festivities in the nation's capital."
In addition to the holiday tree issue, the Forest Service's response to the ruling on Earth Island Institute v. Ruthenbeck could have affected hundreds of outstanding permit and project requests in New Mexico, including 500 personal use permits sought by New Mexicans to harvest small amounts of firewood for home heating uses.
For more information about New Mexico's Capitol Holiday Tree work, visit: www.capitolholidaytree2005.net.
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