Donated Christmas tree lights up Berry Creek community

Town holds lighting despite missing its 15-foot tree

BERRY CREEK » For the Berry Creek Community Council, Friday was supposed to be an exciting day filled with decorating the town’s 15-foot Christmas tree in preparation for Saturday’s tree lighting.

Instead, Denise Bethune and the rest of the council found the tree missing from its location at Hart’s Mill in Berry Creek. Rather than panic, the tree was quickly replaced by a member of the Berry Creek community who donated one of their own to be at the community’s central location.

Members of the community such as Mountain Chapel pastor and head of the Hope On the Hill food closet Anthony Navarro and others helped set up and decorate the tree and the event was once again ready to go for Saturday.

On Saturday just after dark, with Christmas music playing in the background and Santa in attendance, roughly 50 people surrounded the tree while it shined bright.

While the moment was exciting, after the missing tree on Saturday, Bethune was admittedly worried.

“First we were all excited that this tree made it through the night,” she said. “But then just to come together and heal and just take a moment and forget.”

In addition to his work with the church and food closet, Navarro also volunteers his time with the Butte Fire Safe Council in Berry Creek. The Fire Safe Council helps put on the tree lighting each year as well, and Navarro said this year the event almost got away from them.

After a brief discussion, the council decided the event was going to go on regardless of COVID-19 restrictions put on by officials. Navarro said they felt it was important to let the community experience it and come together.

Mary Lou McBee was in attendance with her husband Roland McBee, who dressed up as Santa Claus on Saturday, hoping to bring smiles and cheer to the children of the town.

The two have been members of the Berry Creek com

munity for the past 26 years and, while they did not lose their resident home, they did lose a rental home the couple owned.

While each year Berry Creek traditionally puts on some sort of Christmas gathering each year, Mary Lou said this year is different following the North Complex fires that blazed through the community

earlier this year.

She said the mutual losses have a lot to do with it, but it also shows the unity of the town.

For Navarro, seeing everyone together and excited to see each other during the holidays made a troublesome year a little more bearable. For the people who stayed in Berry Creek after the North Complex

fires, it’s important, he said.

“Now this right here just signifies the unity of the town,” he said pointing to everyone standing around. “We’re still here and we’re not going anywhere. ( Today) we just get together and remember why we’re here and what’s to come.”

JUSTIN COUCHOT — ENTERPRISE-RECORD Santa was on display for visitors to take photos with at the Christmas Tree Lighting in Berry Creek on Saturday.

A charred petal car located at the Berry Creek Volunteer Fire station was one of the few remains following the North Complex Fire in August. Berry Creek Fire Chief Reed Rankin displayed the car with ornaments at the Berry Creek Tree Lighting on Saturday in Berry Creek.

PHOTOS BY JUSTIN COUCHOT — ENTERPRISE-RECORD Santa and members of the community talk at Hart’s Mill in Berry Creek prior to the Berry Creek Christmas Tree Lighting on Saturday.

Anthony Navarro, a resident of Berry Creek, helps decorate town’s Christmas tree prior to the Christmas Tree Lighting in Berry Creek on Saturday.