The Christmas season is upon us once again. One only needs to drive around town to observe and feast on all the beauty of the season. The colorful lights and thoughtful and various ways in which individual homes and yards are decorated can’t but help one appreciate the efforts put forth in order to communicate the spirit of the season. Driving through the downtown area and observing the beauty of the lights on the trees on Broadway and the lights on the perimeter of buildings as one looks upward, is indeed a sight to behold. The decorated store fronts of the business establishments and listening to Mary Ellen Johnson and Karen Trow on KATE, explaining the wonderful plans for the parade and special music to be held on Friday evening in the downtown area will also create an additional touch to the festivities of the season.

The Albert Lea Art Center is also contributing to the festivities with the traditional Christmas trees and decorations in the hallway and in all three galleries in the Art Center. If you missed the open houses held last weekend, the displays will be there through Christmas for all to enjoy.

Thanks to the wonderful people in Albert Lea working together to make this a joyous season. There is, however, one or more mean-spirited, sick individuals intent on destroying that spirit. When the volunteers arrived Sunday noon for the open house at the Art Center they found the 7-foot decorated tree in the atrium had been removed from its stand and shoved into one of the galleries along with the ceiling decorations. A ladder was needed for that purpose. Both sides of the hallway entrance to the galleries were decorated with live potted poinsettias. They had also been removed and placed in one of the galleries.

The volunteers had to scramble to put everything back in place in order to make the Art Center presentable for the viewing public. To add insult to injury, Monday found a repeat of the previous day, only this time the tree had been thrown into the corner of the atrium along with the ceiling decorations. The tree stand was broken. The poinsettias had also been removed from the hallway. So much for the Christmas spirit of some sick-minded people who had access to the building and keys to the various galleries.

No, the Grinch did not steal Christmas. In spite of this, the Christmas spirit will prevail.

Harlan Bang

Albert Lea