Click to Watch Video
Click to Watch Video
The former executive director of Rhode Island’s Economic …
The East Providence police chief will be reinstated to his job …
Rhode Island's biggest cities are among the slowest-growing in …
Advertisement
No tree lighting at State House
No ceremony will be held this year
Updated: Monday, 26 Nov 2012, 11:26 PM EST
Published : Monday, 26 Nov 2012, 4:02 PM EST
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) -- There will be no Christmas tree lighting ceremony on Smith Hill this year.
A spokeswoman for Gov. Lincoln Chafee tells Eyewitness News the tree will be on display at the State House as usual, and is in the process of being decorated. However, the governor will not be hosting a formal lighting ceremony.
Instead, local school choruses will be invited to sing at the State House in a series of concerts leading up to Christmas.
Last year's ceremony came under intense scrutiny, and received nationwide attention, after the tree was dubbed a "holiday tree" . Gov. Chafee defended the move -- saying it was intended to promote the state's history of religious tolerance.
The criticism came despite the fact previous governors used the same term.
Copyright WPRI
Ground rules for posting comments: No profanity or personal attacks. Please comment on the subject of the story itself. If you do not follow these rules, we will remove your post. Keep it civil, folks!
Our commenting section is powered by IntenseDebate. If you registered for an account but didn't receive a verification e-mail, check your spam folder or click here for more information. For additional technical help, click here.
Email This
Print This
View Story on a Single PageAdvertisement
Advertisement