‘Scotchmen’ donate arbor to Troy class

Christmas is about giving and sharing the spirit of the season.

An example of that generosity so others may benefit is evidenced by the gift of a Christmas tree displayed at the Festival of the Trees to Chelsey Goodwin’s kindergarten class in Troy.

Molly Kiernan, aka Molly Montana, and the Friends of the Scotchman Peaks Wilderness group, have donated their entry into the Festival of Trees — a nine-foot Douglas fir — to Goodwin’s kindergarten class at Troy’s W.F. Morrison Elementary School.

“It seemed like the right thing to do,” said Kiernan, who is the Lincoln County coordinator for Scotchman Peaks. “We are so glad to do it.”

Kiernan cut the tree Wednesday, two days before the festival, from her property in the string of Thompson Lakes.

Kiernan attended the Community Night on Friday, and she was accompanied by Lois Tyndall, a room grandmother for the kindergarteners.

“This is just a terrific gift for the students. Yes, I’m grandma, to all 23 students,” said Tyndall, who took the job as a room grandmother to lift her spirits as she’s recovering from gamma-knife treatment to stymie tumor growth.

“The children are just going to love this tree,” she said.

The tree was one of a few real trees in the exhibit, brightly colored in a red décor, accented  with red lights, bead strings, silken bulbs, striped candy canes, white Teddy bears and the symbol for the Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness, white mountain goats.

“It’s just beautiful,” Tyndall said Friday as she admired the arbor.

The reaction was similar in the classroom.

“It was amazing to see the children react,” Tyndall said. “Every child’s reaction was different. Some just cheered. Some stood there with their mouth open, but all were amazed. They were very appreciative.”

Second-year teacher Goodwin purchased candy canes for the children to hang on the tree, so they might feel more like they had a part in decorating the tree.

“I’d say most were kind of shocked,” Goodwin said. “They looked at me and then looked at the tree. It makes for a great Christmas, especially because I know some don’t have a tree at home.”

Goodwin said her students will draft a letter of thanks to The Friends of Scotchman Peaks.

“Many of them were speechless.”