I really like the idea.
Marquette is in the midst of a de-construction boom, as least as far as power plants go. Two old coal-fired plants are being torn down, having already been replaced by natural gas & solar facilities. The good news is that we won't be contributing to climate change as much. The bad news is that the Christmas tree won't be lit up any more.
But at least we get to see it one more time this weekend.
Here's what's going on, with an explanation for those of you who don't live in Marquette. There's a big power plant on Marquette's South Beach, so big that you can see it for a couple of miles while driving into Marquette from that direction. Every holiday season they'd put up a 40 or 50 foot outline of a Christmas tree and light it up, and you could see the tree all the way across the bay in Harvey. However, the power plant is scheduled to be torn down in the next few months, which means that this will be the first Christmas without the tree.
Because of this, the Board of Light & Power is firing up the tree one last time this weekend, for people to take pictures or just glance at it once more. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights the tree outline will be fully lit, and if I had to guess your social media feeds will be filled with pictures and people enjoying the site for the final time before the whole building comes down.
It's Christmas in April, except for the gifts, the snow, Santa, and any squabbling relatives you only see that one day of the year.
I don't know whose I idea this was, but it is genius. While I don't think anyone cares that the plant itself is coming down, I have heard people who were bummed that they won't be able to see the tree any more. When you think of it, this is (almost) the best of both worlds. We get to see the tree one last time (and in fairly comfortable temperatures, to boot) and then we get to get rid of an eyesore on Marquette's lake shore.
It really is a win-win.
So grab your cameras, your phones, your kids, and any mistletoe you can scrounge up, and drive, bike, or walk down there this weekend. It's the end of an era.
But what a way for the tree to go out!
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