A spruce growing too close to a power line at a ComEd location in Pilsen was donated to the 15th District Police Station, 5701 W. Madison St., in Austin, so that police could use it for their annual Christmas tree display.
As of Dec. 18, though, the spot where the district’s Christmas tree usually sits was bare despite ComEd officials sharing photos of workers delivering the tree with the media and on the company’s blog.
Multiple 15th District police officers said this year’s Christmas tree display has been canceled, but they couldn’t comment on the tree’s whereabouts.
Multiple attempts this week to contact a 15th District spokesman, a CPD Media Affairs representative and the ComEd communication specialist who emailed the press release about the tree donation were unsuccessful.
According to ComEd, the idea to donate the tree came about when a Chicago city forester noticed spruce trees growing near the utility company’s power lines at the former Fisk Generating Station property, 1111 W. Cermak Rd.
The worker reached out to ComEd, asking if the utility would be interested in donating a tree. The company chose the tree whose branches were getting too close to a nearby power line.
“Its branches would eventually make contact and potentially cause electric service interruptions in the neighborhood,” ComEd officials explained in a statement released Dec. 10. “Since vegetation management was necessary, it made sense to donate the tree back to the community.”
For the past eight years, the 15th District has held a community parade and Christmas Tree lighting a week before Christmas. The event is designed to bring the community together and celebrate the year’s accomplishments.
The district’s social media accounts make no mention of a Christmas tree lighting ceremony, but the department is hosting a Christmas toy drive-through event at the station on Dec. 22, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Anyone with information on the spruce’s whereabouts can email: igorst3@hotmail.com. This story will be updated if more information comes in.
