City gets 63-foot holiday pine
Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser
When Robert and Marie Weller bought this Norfolk pine for Christmas in 1977 it was a scrawny "Charlie Brown" specimen. The Wellers planted it in their Keolu Hills yard after the holidays, where it remained until the couple donated it for display at Honolulu Hale.
By Eloise Aguiar
Advertiser Windward O'ahu Writer
KAILUA — A Norfolk Island pine that was a Christmas tree for Robert and Marie Weller's family 27 years ago once again will be the centerpiece of the holiday season — this time for the whole city of Honolulu.
Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser
The city cut the 63-foot tree from the Wellers' Keolu Hills yard yesterday and will place it in front of Honolulu Hale as the highlight of the Honolulu City Lights tradition.
A city worker gives Robert Weller a souvenir bud from the giant Norfolk pine he donated to the city for Christmas.
The stately tree was among 10 considered for the place of honor. It won final approval for its straight stature and full foliage.
But it wasn't always a beauty, said Tom Weller, 39. His sister didn't like the tree at all and insisted on getting something more traditional, Weller said.
"It looked too much like a Charlie Brown Christmas tree," he said, referring to a hapless, threadbare little tree featured in a television cartoon based on the popular comic strip.
His mother, Marie Weller, said her husband bought the tree in 1977, shortly after they moved to the Islands, to give the season a more Hawaiian theme. After Christmas, the tree was planted outside in a small space, but has since outgrown the area, she said.
To donate a tree, call the Urban Forestry Division at 971-7151.
"It was our first Christmas tree in this house," Marie Weller said. "It is such a beautiful tree. I look at the tree as a gift from God. It's grown so straight and beautiful. I thought other people could enjoy looking at it."
To contribute
Although the spot where the tree once stood is now empty, Marie Weller said it was time for it to go because it was so huge, and the roots were rising above the surface. She said she feared a wind might topple the giant, which was dangerously near a neighbor's home.
The city used a crane, a trailer truck and numerous people to harvest the tree, said Stan Oka, administrator for the Urban Forestry Division. The tree was trimmed to 60 feet, five of which will be buried in the ground for stability, Oka said.
Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser
"We try to find something that has a finished height of 55 feet," he said, adding that the tree weighs 5 1/2 tons and has a trunk diameter of 16 1/2 inches.
Robert Weller watches as city Parks Department worker Abraham Tenorio slices into the trunk of the tree.
Finding the perfect tree is not easy, Oka said. Some trees look straight but have a slight curve or crook that make them appear to lean when mounted. Of the two trees inspected this year, just two were acceptable, Oka said.
The city not only cuts down the tree but takes measures to prevent it from growing back, he said providing a service to the owner at no cost.
"It's a good deal all the way around," Oka said. "It would probably be too expensive to purchase otherwise."
Reach Eloise Aguiar at eaguiar@honoluluadvertiser.com. or 234-5266.
