Branches of special tree to be adorned with memories By Patti Rasmusen For the News Chronicle The Christmas tree at Kevin Flately’s place is likely the biggest in the city. It took six people to haul it into the family recreation area of Flately’s Howard Johnson Inn & Conference Center, 2580 S. Ashland, and cut a few inches off the trunk before the remaining 25 feet of it could stand up without crashing through the ceiling. “It was a bargain,” Flately said, pointing to the Cut Your Own Christmas Tree flyer from the Ahnapee River Tree Farm which promised spruce trees for a flat $20 no matter the size. The majestic evergreen towers over the hotel’s recreation center waiting for a more personal touch than the 4,000 colored lights workers poked onto its branches with long poles held off high ladders and the second-floor mezzanine. It took all day, Flately said. This tree was put there for a purpose beyond fancy decor. “We know Green Bay residents have huge hearts, and we wanted to provide them with a Christmas tree large enough to fill with memories of special people,” Flately said, dedicating it as Green Bay’s Memory Tree. “All we need now is ornaments.” Area residents and visitors are invited to bring ornaments to hang on the tree in memory of loved ones. It can be any type, Flately said, encouraging families to theme the ornament to fit the personality of the person remembered. There will be glass ornaments at the hotel for people to purchase, $2 for a larger ornament, $1 for the small version. Proceeds will be donated to Muscular Dystrophy Association. “My mother died when I was 6, my father when I was 19,” Flately said. “Fifty percent of our home movies are from Christmas, those are good memories.” His will be the first two ornaments on the tree, to celebrate, he said. Food and beverage manager Kurt Cornell plans to remember his grandparents with memory ornaments. “This gives people who don't normally come here a reason to stop by to see the tree and to remember,” he said. Cornell is not quite sure how many ornaments will be hung on the tree, but he’s certain there can’t be too many. “Maybe 3,000, maybe 200, it doesn’t matter. Hopefully it will become a tradition.” In the meantime, Flately says area musicians and choirs would be welcome to perform in the shadow of the Memory Tree, which he hopes will be filled with ornaments before Christmas. Families will be invited to sign a registry to mark the event. They can retrieve their ornament after the holiday, or the hotel will store them to be used again next year. “We’ve got a lot of space on this tree,” Flately said.