Christmas tree put in place at Reading's Penn Street gateway

READING, Pa. -

The ongoing saga of Christmas trees in Reading continued Tuesday with a case of now you see it, now you don't.

A Christmas tree that was meant to replace the "Charlie Brown" tree on Penn Square was put in place Tuesday morning at the base of the Penn Street Bridge.

City crews, however, returned Tuesday afternoon and removed the 22-foot blue spruce. They said it will be relocated to a better spot across the street, in front of the Gateway building, Wednesday morning.

The tree, bought by city council President Francis Acosta, was originally supposed to become the city's official tree at Fifth and Penn streets, replacing the one many have described as being "pathetic" and "ugly."

Officials on Monday, however, had a change of heart and decided to keep the original tree in place on Penn Square and place the new tree at Second and Penn.

The controversy over the original tree drew international media attention, leading to the phones in City Hall "ringing off the hook" with calls from people across the country, officials said Monday.

Half of the callers, they said, supported the tree's removal, while the other half supported the tree being kept on Penn Square, citing the adage, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder."

Go here to read the rest:
Christmas tree put in place at Reading's Penn Street gateway