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STATE: Governor hosts 85th annual Capitol Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony
Gov. Jerry Brown and First Lady Anne Gust Brown hosted the 85th Annual Capitol Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony Monday evening on the West Steps of the State Capitol.
“It’s that special time of the year – Christmas,” said Gov. Brown. “It reminds us of the time of peace, forgiveness and good times.”
This year’s tree is a 60-foot-tall white fir from Latour Demonstration State Forest located near Redding in Shasta County, the fifth Capitol Christmas tree to come from a state forest managed by Cal Fire on behalf of the public.
The tree is decorated with 900 hand-crafted ornaments made by children and adults with developmental disabilities who receive services and support from the state’s development centers and 21 nonprofit regional centers.
This year, the governor and first lady lit the Capitol Christmas tree with 7-year-old twin boys, Alex and Alan Rosales of Los Angeles. It is illuminated by approximately 10,000 ultra-low wattage LED lights.
Kitty O’Neal of KFBK Radio emceed the ceremony, which also featured performances by the California Army National Guard’s DET 1, 40th Infantry Division Band, Brass Quintet, the Governor’s Own; students from the Oakland Military Institute and Oakland School for the Arts; Mariachi Puente; and St. Paul’s Baptist Church Choir.