BLYTHEWOOD – A little rain didn’t stop the annual Blythewood Tree Lighting that is usually held on the lawn in front of town hall. And an eleventh-hour change of venue – to Doko Manor – didn’t diminish the crowd.
About 250 people gathered in the Manor ballroom leading up to 5 p.m., as Freeway Music students Laura Eargle and Thomas Bozard performed pre-ceremony holiday songs.
Mayor-elect Sloan Jarvis Griffin, III, welcomed those attending and served as emcee in the absence of both Mayor Bryan Franklin and Mayor Pro-Tem Eddie Baughman.
The invocation was given by Ron Perryman of Chrome Ministries.
Holiday music was provided by Jeannie and Vance Sharpe and the choir from Bethel-Hanberry Elementary School.
Before the lighting of the tree, Griffin gave a special shout out to some of the behind-the-scenes folks who made the event possible: Lee Riley who organized this year’s event; Jason Moseley and Ronnie Gardner who set up the lighting; Butch Richardson for always providing the magic tree lighting switches and to Fairfield Electric Coop for stringing the lights on the town Christmas tree and hanging the decorations in the town.
Three members of the McLean family – Jim and Frankie McLean and Mittie McLean – were introduced as this year’s official tree lighters. Before they powered the lights, however, Griffin talked about some of the ways the McLean family has contributed to the town over seven generations.
“The family originally came here with the railroad, and Jim’s father, Hudnalle McLean Sr., served as the town postmaster for over 40 years,” Griffin said. “Mr. Hudnalle was the unofficial historian of Blythewood and many of the photos of the town’s historic landmarks and events were taken by him.”
Griffin said it was Jim and Frankie who, in 2011, came up with the idea for the Blythewood Historical Society, and Frankie served as the Society’s first president.
Frankie and Mittie both taught school in Blythewood for many years, and Mittie was also president of the Blythewood Garden Club when it published the first edition of the Blythewood Scrapbook in 1976.
Over the years Jim has served the town in a number of capacities – as an elected town councilman, as president of the Historical Society, as a member of the Board of Architectural Review and Planning Commission, and he is a founding member of the Doko Meadows Park Foundation.
Having never missed a town tree lighting, Jim, Frankie and Mittie had the honor of flipping the switch on this year’s tree as the audience sung, ‘We Wish You a Merry Christmas’.
With lights aglow, Santa arrived to hold audience with the long line of kids who were eager to share their wish lists.
Following the ceremony, the Blythewood Rotary members served hot chocolate; Blythewood Hope Optimist Club members served cookies, and the Blythewood Civitan Club served apple cider.
