Chamber of Commerce No Longer Involved With Holiday Tree Fundraising

After publicly backing a plea to move the holiday tree and ceremony back to the train station, the Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce is no longer a part of the fundraising project that was approved in late September, although they will putting on the holiday show as always.

"We move where the tree moves," Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Joan Groome said, adding that they support the move back to E. Ridgewood and Broad Street for the 25th anniversary of the lighting.

Groome noted that the chamber has never put up the tree, that it was a village function. That too will be changing this year.

Paul Vagianos, owner of It's Greek to Me, who's led the charge to move the tree to the location it held for over 20 years, said at Wednesday's village council work session that due to tax reasons, it didn't make sense for the Chamber to be involved.

Vagianos explained that "it became much easier to put the tree up separately from the Chamber," in an interview earlier in the week with Patch.

Instead, Vagianos said that a private foundation–The Ridgewood Christmas Tree Fund– has been set up in the chamber's place to handle the funding, and he remains committed to "having the absolute best" tree lighting ceremony the village has seen in recent memory.

The Christmas Tree Fund (and Vagianos specified that it is a Christmas Tree and not a "holiday tree" as it's been officially called by the village) aims to have a live tree planted by Blue Fish restaurant every year for perpetuity.

"It's going to be better, easier and cheaper to have an outside organization put the tree up," he told Patch, adding that "projects evolve," and he thought he'd be done with the effort when Mayor Killion handed put on a holiday hat and miniature tree back in a September 22 village council meeting.

In what he called "great news," Vagianos said that he's found someone to do the cutting of the tree, the planting, the transportation, the trimming, the lighting, the cleanup – virtually the whole process. Kevin Downes, owner of Downes Tree Service based in Hawthorne will be working pro bono on the project. The cost of labor and the cutting, transporting and planting of the tree was expected to the be the largest cost of the project but that's now been covered.

One cost scheduled to stay flat is what Downes is paid. Vagianos is reportedly working on an agreement to get the large tree service company to work pro bono every year. "He's happy to do it," Vagianos said, adding that Downes has done similar projects in other towns.

New lights have already been purchased at a cost of $3,700 and a tree from Linden Place in Ridgewood has been selected; it will be cut from 100'" to 50'" in height.

Total costs have still yet to be finalized for the project, but Vagianos said they've raised more than the $6,500 they've committed to paying this year, much of which was raised when the Chamber was involved in the raising of funds for the project.

Over $8,300 has been raised by the Christmas Tree Fund, Vagianos said, and he said that he believes the village council and Village Manager Dr. Kenneth Gabbert will be "pleased" with the end result.

The Christmas Tree Fund is coordinating with the council and village manager to see what financially will still need to be financially covered, Vagianos reported, also stating that he "is absolutely confident" everything will be worked out for this year and beyond.

"We'll raise money year-round," he said.

The Greek restaurant owner said that while finances have been hard to specifically nail down because the project has changed so many times, "After this year we'll have a better handle on total costs." 

The village council heard overwhelming support for the move by the community, with business owners, residents and school children all claiming to favor the move.

At Mayor Killion's urging, a live tree was planted in Van Neste Square two years ago to save taxpayers. The cost for that project was $18,000 but many, including Vagianos, said while well-intended, the move hasn't worked. The tree, they say, is too small and is overshadowed by other buildings. A drab tree there, they said, cost businesses during a critical shopping time and the return to the original home would encourage people to shop, dine and experience Ridgewood.

Both trees–one by the train station and the other by Van Neste Park–will be lit simultaneously on December 3 at 7:30 p.m.

Donations were provided by: Capital One Bank with $2,500; Russo & Ferarro Realty with $750; The Ridgewood News with $500; $350 donations by Tre Voci, Natalie's, Blue Fish, The Stable, It's Greek to Me, Smith Brothers, Ed Sullivan (the landlord); a $250 donation has been made by Gen's Sushi; a $200 donation by Ridgewood Cycle; a $150 donation by Dunkin' Donuts and Smith and Co. 

A $100 donation has been provided by Gilsenen Realty, Best of Everything, Oliver's Chocolates, UPS Store, Biltmore Tuxedos, American Express Travelers Center, Curtain Exchange, Taste of Thai, Town & Country, Ridgewood Coin Shop, LaTour, and Mango Jam.