Town Coming Together After Christmas Tree Stolen From Park

Written/reported By Luke Hajdasz, of WFSB 3 TV

KILLINGLY, CT — Who stole the Christmas tree in Killingly?

It’s a question many people in town are asking after the town tree in Davis Park was stolen last week from the Danielson part of town.

Now, the community is coming together to replace it.

All that stands after the theft is just a tied down twine that’s bolted to a gazebo.

“Why would you do that,” said Chris Nantais, a resident.

He took a selfie with the tree just last week when it was first put up.

But, when a town employee went to go turn on the lights on Thanksgiving, they got a very unwelcome surprise.

“He discovered that the tree was gone. It was missing. Someone cut the twine securing it at the top and literally just pulled it out of the base,” said Killingly Town Manager Mary Calorio.

There are plenty of holiday events in the town. However, they wouldn’t be the same without a tree.

So, Nicholas Biagioni had to do something about it.

“I just felt it was the right thing to do. We have them here, they’re just sitting here so I thought it was great to donate to the town,” he said.

He has many Christmas trees on his property. So, he donated a nine-footer.

“I thought it was the perfect time to help out,” he continued.

However, the tree just didn’t look right without some bright lights on it. That’s where Sholes Ace Hardware comes in, as they donated lights to decorate it.

“It’s Christmas time, the kids go there and enjoy it, it’s all about community and families and stuff. We’re just trying to bring everyone together and have a great holiday season,” said Manager Darrell McClellan.

People have also been dropping off ornaments at town hall while police look for who’s responsible and the town reevaluates security at the park.

Crews are in the process of trimming the donated tree to make it fit. They’re expecting to have it up sometime Tuesday.

Editor's note: This story was reported by WFSB 3 TV staff and is being shared on Patch with full permission. View more stories at WFSB 3 TV.