For many Woodside residents, the neighborhood Christmas tree, which stands a little over four-feet tall, has not become a place of pride but one of shame.
“It’s so small,” said Kay Finnigan, 82, who has lived in Woodside since she was 5, as she shook her head. “That’s why people are complaining.” The only positive, she said, was that “the kids at P.S. 11 did a good job decorating it with the bows and balls.”
But Finnigan is not the only one complaining–and comparisons are often made with Sunnyside. “They get a nice Christmas tree, lights that welcome you to Sunnyside– while Woodside gets this,” said one woman in a local coffee shop.
The Woodside tree is located at Sohncke Square–across the street from St. Sebastian’s church. The tree, delivered by the Parks Department last week, has been planted on top of concrete, leaving little room for its root system to spread out. The tree’s growth will be stunted.
The Parks Dept. has assured residents that it will grow. However, people don’t know whether the growth will be in inches or feet.
