Mike and Vesna Glisovic gave up the majestic tree in front of their home Friday morning so it can be seen by many more people than pass by their corner in Morton Grove.
The couple posed, smiling, next to their Colorado spruce tree that lay atop a long flatbed truck outside their home, waiting to be trucked to Millennium Park to serve as Chicago’s official Christmas tree.
But the Glisovics had mixed emotions about donating the robust sample of Mother Nature. When they moved into the ranch home at Church and Cherry streets back in 1990, it was just six feet tall on their front lawn, and has been a backdrop to their lives since then. Harvested for greater glory downtown, the tree is an estimated 54 feet today.
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“You miss the tree, but you’re also proud to see the tree,” as the city’s Christmas tree, said Mike Glisovic. The tree will be installed at Millennium Park on Monday for the decoration process to begin, and will be officially dedicated in a Nov. 18 ceremony the Glisovics will attend.
The tree is the first from Morton Grove to serve as the official holiday tree in an approximately 15-year-old program, dating back to the administration of Mayor Richard M. Daley. The city solicits trees from the entire Chicago area, preferring candidates that grow within a 15-to-20-mile radius of downtown for logistics, said Neal Heitz, program director of event production for the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.
Trees are culled annually after the city issues a news release about two months in advance, said Heitz.
“We put some parameters in the release,” he said. “We’re looking for trees that are over 45 feet. A Norway or Colorado blue spruce is the tree we prefer. Anybody can submit a tree.”
Tree owners submit two to three photos and a little narrative about their candidate.
“What we’ve found is that every tree has its story,” said Heitz. “We got over 80 submissions this year from all over the city and collar counties. We send out our landscaping company to make sure there are not any bald spots on the tree, and make sure the trunk isn’t crooked. We also look at the logistics, whether there are any power lines or if the street is too narrow to remove it.”
Heitz’s department narrowed down the candidates to about three finalists, contacting the owners, before the winner was chosen. One reason for the communications is ensuring the donors’ intentions are pure.
“Some people truthfully are looking to have a tree removed from their yards,” Heitz said.
The winner must be available to participate in the tree-lighting ceremony.
The Glisovics enjoy the holiday-tree mood.
“We always liked Christmastime and always liked visiting official Christmas trees,” said Vesna Glisovic. “Every time we saw an announcement, we always think we can do this. Our tree is mature and it’s just a matter of time when this tree has to go. I was surprised (it was chosen).”
Heitz said the new Christmas tree was a perfect height for its starring role. But the donors are still amazed at its growth.
“You really don’t realize how much the tree has grown till one day you take a step back and, wow, it’s tall,” said Mike Glisovic.
The tree was so long its top hung off the back of the Long Grove-based Brightview Landscaping crew’s flatbed truck.
The crew first tied the tree three days previously to prep it for the cutting process. Then a crane was used to attach to the top of the tree before the chain saws went to work. After just four minutes of cutting, the tree was ready to move on to its next incarnation.
Brightview project manager Jim Williams said the tree was an impressive specimen because “it was in a residential area, and most people don’t leave it alone. This is the rarity.”
The city will remove the stump and clean up the yard, leaving the Glisovics free to plant the tree’s successor.
“I’m looking for a Serbian spruce,” Vesna Glisovic said, referring to a product of her native country. “They use them here a lot. We’ll probably do it in springtime.”
