Should Marblehead Bring Back the Annual Tree Burning?

Though there was some talk earlier this year among Recreation and Parks Commmission members about bringing back the annual Christms tree burning at Riverhead Beach - the plan to revive the tradition was put on the back burner.

So, as we watch annual Christmas tree burnings in several surrounding North Shore communities come and go, we have to ask - should Marblehead consider reviving the tradition?

Here's what some of our readers have already said about bringing it back:

Heather Kleinman: Is there a way to turn them into mulch instead, rather than just burning them? Seems like a waste... In other towns I've seen Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops offer the service with a local landscape company as a service to the community.

Dennis Verrette: Worry about the health hazard ? About as much as I do about leaf blowers.

Russ Patten" I think this sounds like fun. We used to do this on our own when I was a kid. We would drive around with a dads collecting all of the trees from the trash and then make a big bonfire on the beach. It was a great time and nice and warm. I would love to see Marblehead hold such an event!

Anson Clough: Bring it back for sure! It was such a great way to mark the end of the Holiday Season, and a fun community-wide way to get rid of the evidence! Can't comment on the environmental impact but love the tradition ... and miss it!

Meri: Yes, it was a wonderful family tradition!

Charlie Ricker: PLEASE Bring it back. It was a beautiful tradition torpedoed by do-gooders. Give me a break on the pollution. We have oil wells burning all over the planet and we had to snuff out this great tradition? Another example of twisted and incorrect priorities. Bringing family and townspeople together after the holidays for a tradition like this is literally PRICELESS. I was happy to see at least Salem had the good sense to start the tradition just about when Marblehead stopped it. Wow.

Louise: Yes, please bring it back. It was such a great tradition and a fun way to end the holidays.

ach: If they are collected voluntarily, and volunteers clean up, then go for it, but spending town money for this is wasteful and silly. Christmas trees should be repurposed as mulch.

Joe Whipple: Absolutely bring it back. It was a beautiful tradition. If people don't want their trees burned, they can bring them to the dump or wait until after January 5 to put them curbside.

Chris Walsh: It should have never been stopped .....kind of like the fireworks being moved from the causeway....but that's a story for another day. Definitely bring it back!

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So what do you think? Let us know in the comments section below.