Ugh, Christmas tree

READING -- A Christmas tree that some residents had maligned as ugly will remain in its prominent downtown location after all.

The Reading City Council president had ordered the removal of the spindly spruce, unveiled at a tree lighting ceremony Friday, after some residents said it was ruining their holiday spirit.

City workers had already started removing the tree's decorations Monday when City Council President Francis Acosta ordered the work halted.

It's not clear what prompted him to change his mind, but some residents had thought the tree should stay. The episode has inspired comparisons to the plot of "A Charlie Brown Christmas."

The puny pine was a last-minute stand-in taken from a city park. The city had planned to get its tree from a farm, but the owner wouldn't let the crews drive on the wet ground when they went to pick it up.

The 50-foot tree is topped with a lighted pretzel, a nod to the area's bakeries.

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Ugh, Christmas tree