Rockefeller Tree to be Made Into Morris Homes

The 2012 Christmas tree donated by Flanders resident Joseph Balku will be used in the construction of houses for Morris County Habitat for Humanity.

Rockefeller Christmas Tree Begins Journey From Morris County

80-foot Norway spruce cut from Mount Olive man's property.

One foot for every year. The Christmas tree for the 80th annual Rockefeller Christmas tree lighting ceremony is an 80-foot tall Norway spruce that came down on Flanders-Drakestown Road in Mt. Olive on Tuesday morning. This tree's felling was the first in weeks to be celebrated, rather than lamented, as the 10-ton tree wasn't part of the damage sustained during the recent visit by Hurricane Sandy.  Joseph Balku, the Mount Olive resident who owns the property the tree resided on, said that the Nov. 12 festivities were the culmination of a whirlwind two months. "They called me two months ago," Balku said. "And three weeks ago they told me my tree was selected and I was happy to donate it." The street Balku lives on still shows scars of …

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Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Hails From Morris

10-ton Norway Spruce to be cut down Tuesday morning in Mount Olive.

From Morris County to Rockefeller Center. A 10-ton Norway Spruce will be cut down Tuesday morning in the Flanders section of Mount Olive and transported on a 115-foot-long trailer and transported to New York. The tree, which is 80 feet tall and 50 feet in diameter, will be brought down on the property of Joseph Balku and will be erected in Rockefeller Center on Wednesday. The 80th annual Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lighting ceremony will be held in two weeks on Wednesday, Nov. 28. This is the first time since 2009 a New Jersey tree will be used at Rockefeller Center, according to NJ.com.

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