ASHLAND, Ky.

Saturday, November 18, 2000

ASHLAND, Ky. – The Paramount Arts Center’s Festival of the Trees brought the Christmas season closer this week, showcasing student, volunteer and professionally decorated trees around the Tri-State.

"There is a tremendous amount of work that has gone into these trees," said David Mays, whose Dawson-Bryant Elementary students entered a tree. "I couldn’t even begin to pick a favorite. There are too many to choose from."

Among those many trees, Mays’s fourth- and fifth-grade art students have an entry called "Let it Snow."

The tree is decorated with student-made felt snowmen, bead icicles and snowflakes and topped with a tin snowman.

Mays designed the tree along with his wife, Rhonda, and Teresa Hacker.

The elementary children took a tree and a gingerbread house to the festival.

Actually a church, the house features a pointed ice cream cone steeple. It was constructed by 30 students in Margaret Ellis’s Living Skills I class.

Many area schools – including several others in Lawrence County – contributed decorated trees to the festival.

Marilyn Davidson of the Paramount Arts Center said that the Paramount Woman’s Association, which sponsors the festival, tries to encourage school participation.

"Proceeds from the Festival of Trees go to the Paramount’s Youth Education Series," Davidson said. "The funds allow kids to come down and see special productions. These are kids who might not ordinarily get to come to the Paramount. So, kids are participating and helping kids. It’s a positive cycle."

The Festival of Trees opens today at 1 p.m. and will remain open through Sunday, Nov. 26. Admission is $4 for adults, $2 for senior citizens and $1 for children. Call 1-606-324-3175 for hours.

Bids are taken on trees until the last day. They will be auctioned afterward.