Philip D. Brown

Richmond County Daily Journal

Christmas decorations began going up all around Rockingham this week as the city geared up for its annual Christmas Tree Lighting scheduled for 7 p.m. on Tuesday.

Public Works Director Richard Haugen said there are some new additions to the city’s fleet of Christmas decorations, including new bows on many of the decorations, new Christmas carolers at the Rockingham Police Department and two new elves to accompany the Santa Claus at city hall.

“We pretty much do it all at one time, so about 12 to 15 people put them up every year,” Haugen said,

“Our annual tree lighting is on December 1, and really we’re just trying to help get everyone in the city in the holiday spirit,” said Rockingham Special Events Coordinator Kim Williams. “It just makes downtown a little more attractive, and seems to make things a little brighter.”

At the Christmas Tree Lighting this year, Williams said the L.J. Bell Elementary chorus will sing Christmas carols, and cookies, hot chocolate and apple cider will be served.

“We’re also planning on having our retiring City Clerk Johnsey Lunsford actually plug-in the lights this year,” Williams said.

Lunsford, who is retiring in January, is the mother Alonso “Big Mac” Lunsford, the former Richmond County resident who was injured in the Fort Hood shootings.

“Every year, we try to get someone special to plug-in the lights,” she explained.

She said people who formerly had the honor include retired Rockingham Police Officer David Quick, and the children of a family that was displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

“I think it will be really special because she is retiring, and of course this unfortunate incident happened at Fort Hood,” she said.

Haugen also said the big Christmas tree used in the city’s annual Christmas Tree lighting scheduled for next Tuesday will most likely go up the day before the ceremony.

n Staff Writer Philip D. Brown can be reached at (910) 997-3111 ext. 32, or by e-mail at pbrown@yourdailyjournal.com.