One of the many displays featured on Daisy Avenue as part of Christmas Tree Lane.
BY NICK DIAMANTIDES
Staff Writer
After months of wrangling that threatened to cast a dark cloud over the Daisy Avenue Christmas Tree Lane celebrations, the Wrigley Association and the Wrigley Area Neighborhood Alliance (WANA) have agreed to put their differences aside, at least until after Christmas. Now both neighborhood associations will participate in the decorating of Daisy Avenue, and both will be present at the Daisy Avenue Christmas Tree Lane Parade. But they will be working in separate venues.
The two organizations, both of which are dedicated to improving neighborhoods, environmental cleanup, encouraging harmony between all groups, and other philanthropic causes, have been at odds over issues pertaining to the decorating of Christmas Tree Lane for more than a year. The most recent controversy revolves around the question of which of the two groups is the rightful owner of the Christmas Tree Lane displays, many of which were built in the 1950s.
The Daisy Avenue Christmas Tree Lane event began in 1953. The parade began a few years later. Maria Norvel has been working on the Christmas Tree Lane celebration for 19 years. Until about two years ago, she did so under the auspices of the Wrigley Association. But when members of that organization disagreed on the level of the group’s participation in that event, some of them— including Norvel— pulled out and founded WANA.
The controversy over ownership of the displays and the liability attached to them was at least a factor in City Hall’s reluctance to issue a permit to either group to set up the displays on Daisy Avenue. Many residents were worried that there would be no Christmas Tree Lane this year.
“The city finally sent us a permit about a week ago. and WANA is to set up and take down the displays,” Norvel said. “Now WANA is responsible for mostly everything we have had in the past, including four nights of entertainment.” She said that the organization’s members and volunteers from various parts of the city will start setting up the displays early next week— after the ground has dried out from the expected rainstorms.
Norvel said that the Wrigley Association and WANA will eventually have to settle the issue of display ownership, but they have agreed to put that negotiation off until sometime next year. “I don’t understand this at all,” she said. “They (the Wrigley Association) voted three times to separate from Christmas Tree Lane, and now they are giving us so many problems. We would like for this to get settled out of court.”
Norvel added that she didn’t know how many trees would have lights this year. “We did get the LED lights already, which use a lot less electricity, but I don’t know how much money we can raise to have them put on the trees,” she said. “It costs $1,500 per tree to have the lights put on.” Last year, only four trees were lit.
Meanwhile, the Wrigley Association has taken a lead role in coordinating the Christmas Tree Lane Parade, which is scheduled for December 13. “We’re going to be supplying volunteers for the parade, and I think we are going to be involved in staging, and possibly step off— directing people during the parade,” said Annie Greenfeld-Wisner, Wrigley Association president. She added that the Wrigley Association is working with the offices of Long Beach City Council Members Dee Andrews (6th District) and Tonia Reyes Uranga (7th District) to coordinate volunteer efforts. “We are also going to be in charge of the community tent,” she said. “We will supply the food for all the people who come to enjoy the parade.”
While WANA is in charge of setting up the Christmas Tree Lane displays, which go on the grassy median that runs along the center of Daisy Avenue south of Willow Street, the Wrigley Association, on the other hand, will be encouraging lavish Christmas decorations in the yards that line both sides of the street. “This year we are having the first home-decorating contest on Daisy Avenue on December 6,” said Greenfeld-Wisner. “There are going to be lots of prizes.”
She added that nothing has been determined as to the ownership of the displays.
“We communicated with the city and decided we wanted to participate in the parade,” Greenfeld-Wisner said. “Last year we showed up on set-up day for Christmas Tree Lane and were not permitted to participate, so we decided we wanted to do something else.” She noted that the Wrigley Association and WANA have put aside their differences until after the holidays.
“The economy is so bad, we really wanted the community to enjoy the parade and the Christmas displays without having something hanging over their heads,” she added. “It’s going to be a fabulous parade, and I am just so glad that the parade, the displays and the home decorations will all work together to make this a very nice Christmas season.”
Norvel agreed. “I am so happy that it’s all finally coming together,” she said. “This is a time of year when we should be joyous. It’s always so much work, but when the time comes to do it, I am always excited to be part of this wonderful, historic event.”
