Powers Park tree a story of persistence of the spirit

Arrow points to Powers Park.

Calling him, or them, a Grinch would be putting it too mildly.

The lowlife or low-lives who several times vandalized the Christmas tree installed by the Lansingburgh community in Powers Park, resulting in the battered tree being removed, deserve to be caught, publicly embarassed and sentenced to some stiff community service.

This once-proud neighborhood, which over the generations has tried to keep its own identity even though it is part of the City of Troy, is really suffering through hard times. A rising crime rate, incessant drug trafficking, frequent arsons, housing stock that is crumbling, people loitering and jaywalking with no heed to traffic, trash piled in front of buildings for a week at a time rather than only on trash pickup day ... and the plywood covering what had been windows and doors. Oh, the plywood.

I have spoken to numerous people in recent years who grew up in the 'Burgh, and even raised their families there. But, in the face of the downward spiral, they finally sold their homes for what they could get and headed for greener pastures.

In the face of all that, a core of good, community-minded people has continued to try to regain the upper hand in the 'Burgh, pushing for neighborhood cleanups, activity programs for otherwise aimless kids, lobbying for stronger police presence, organizing and promoting civic entertainment such as festivals and concerts.

People like Lansingburgh residents Ron and Sue Higgs, who donated the original 20-foot tree they had planted 22 years ago when their son was born.

It is people with a similar community spirit who anonymously placed another Christmas tree in Powers Park to make up to some degree for the battered Higgs tree. (Rumor has it that the 'Burgh's former city councilman Mark McGrath and former mayor Harry Tutunjian were involved in the replacement.) The new one is smaller, to be sure, but it is a tree. A symbol that not all the creeps in the world can permanently subdue the heart of the 'Burgh.

The persistence to have such a special holiday touch says a lot about the spirit of the 'Burgh. Perhaps not as widespread as it once was, but it still beats strongly and that means hope for the future.

Powers Park has been part of Lansingburgh since 1878 when Deborah Ball Powers created the 2½-acre space as a memorial to her husband, William. When she died in 1891, her sons deeded it to the then-Village of Lansingburgh -- nine years before the 'Burgh became part of the City of Troy. It is a major part of our community's shared history, and everyone has a stake in keeping it as a safe gem.

Christmas Eve Update: I drove by Powers Park early this afternoon, and the replacement Christmas tree appears to be doing just fine.

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