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Power To Save: Christmas Tree Goes Green

MONTOURSVILLE — The electric bill can get expensive around the holiday season, especially if you’re lighting up a tree that’s 62-feet tall. A ...

MONTOURSVILLE -- The electric bill can get expensive around the holiday season, especially if you're lighting up a tree that's 62-feet tall.

A group of volunteers in Lycoming County decided it was time to buy energy- efficient bulbs to light the tree this year.

At 62 feet, it's hard to miss the towering tree that sits just off of Broad Street in Montoursville. It's even harder to miss when it's all lit up.

Almost every year for nearly 70 years, this tree has been strung with lights for the holiday season. After several decades, the lights have gone dim.

"Lights were bad, wiring was bad and he wanted to step it up, make it more efficient. He needed some funding for it," said Jeff Hamilton of American Legion Post 104.

Mayor John Dorin and the group of volunteers who take care of the tree decided it was time to go green.

Last week, the American Legion in Montoursville handed over a big check for $6,000, enough to buy brand new LED lights.

"We always saw it lit. I never knew we would be a part of keeping it lit," said Hamilton.

Compared to the old bulbs, these new LED lights are brighter. They are also more efficient which means the electric bill will cheaper.

"That will probably be about a $500 savings of electricity for this year so we're looking forward to it," the mayor said.

"We want to keep it going. We want everybody to ride by this and know it's lit, that we can pull resources together and do something like this," added Hamilton.

This tree in Montoursville will be lit for the first time for the holiday season November 24.

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