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Teen hurt while surfing a Christmas Tree.
By Salvador Hernandez - The Orange County Register
SAN CLEMENTE - An 18-year-old man slammed into a parked car Sunday night while he and another teenager rode atop Christmas trees tied to the back of an SUV, authorities said.
Orange County Sheriff's Department officials said they have received calls about a new fad called "tree surfing" in the past, but this is the first time they have seen someone injured.
Two people were riding separate Christmas trees tied to a Mitsubishi Montero at about 10:45 p.m., said Jim Amormino, spokesman for the Sheriff's Department. The car – occupied by a female driver and two passengers – was traveling near Calle Ola Verde and Avenida Espada.
The car was going 20-25 mph, said Capt. Greg McKeown of the Orange County Fire Authority. As the vehicle turned at the intersection, one of the tied trees flew out wide, and slammed the 18-year-old into a parked car.
Investigators are not sure if the two riders were standing or sitting on the trees, Amormino said.
The driver fled, Amormino said.
"As soon as the guy got hurt, she left on foot," he said.
The two passengers in the car, and the other teen who was riding one of the trees, stayed behind and told deputies that the car did not belong to the female driver, Amormino said.
"They said they didn't know who the girl was, and they just let her drive," Amormino said. "Whether they're protecting her, we're not sure. We're still conducting interviews."
The 18-year-old man, whose identity has not been released, suffered moderate injuries to his head and was taken to Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo. He is expected to survive. The incident is being investigated as a felony hit-and-run.
Deputies have had similar calls in the past, with people standing on the hoods of moving vehicles, sticking their bodies out of the windows or holding on to a moving car while riding a skateboard, Amormino said.
This the first incident involving a Christmas tree that deputies have investigated, he said.
But the practice has been widely circulated on the Internet, with dozens of videos showing up on YouTube.
Officials want to discourage people from attempting it, calling it an extremely dangerous and illegal fad.
"It's a serious traffic violation," Amormino said. "You have no control over what happens."
UL® Says Natural Christmas trees only safe for 4 weeks
Christmas tree farmer spray paints his trees before sale
Hawaiian Christmas tree shipments contaminated with harmful bugs.
More...By Dan Nakaso, USA TODAY
HONOLULU - Inspectors found dozens of insects inside one of four quarantined shipments of Christmas trees on Wednesday, including a worrisome German yellow-jacket wasp that does not exist in Hawaii.
Three other, unidentified species of "worker yellow-jacket wasps" were also found during the inspection, said Domingo Cravalho, inspection and compliance section chief for the state Department of Agriculture.
"They're unfamiliar to our entomologists," Cravalho said. "We also found other insects like stink bugs, beetles and the likes. Those were all collected and will be looked at."
The container was one of four that had been quarantined over the weekend when yellow-jacket wasps were discovered inside. The four quarantined containers were among 101 containers full of Christmas trees from the Pacific Northwest that represent Hawaii's first major shipment of the season.
Three of the quarantined containers held trees from Oregon-based grower Kirk Co., said Department of Agriculture spokeswoman Janelle Saneishi. The fourth belonged to Holiday Trees of Oregon, she said.
A second quarantined container full of Kirk Co. trees was to be inspected late Wednesday, Saneishi said. A third will be inspected on Friday.
The container full of Holiday Trees will be sent back to the company at its request, Saneishi said.
Kirk Co. employees unloaded each of the first shipment of 360 quarantined trees, shook them to look for insects and then repackaged each one after they passed inspection, Saneishi said. Holiday Trees does not have similar manpower in Hawaii to go through each tree under quarantine, Saneishi said.
The Kirk Co. trees that passed inspection can now be sold in Hawaii, she said.
The worrisome German yellow-jacket arrived in its refrigerated container dead, Cravalho said.
But the three unidentified yellow jackets "were well alive," he said. "They were moving about and they're still moving about. They and the other insects will be placed in alcohol immediately."
Inspectors planned to open each of the 24-foot shipping containers full of Kirk Co. trees in a special screened area designed to prevent insects from flying away, Cravalho said.
Inspectors also set out opened cans of tuna to attract any wayward yellow jackets, Cravalho said.
"They apparently like tuna," he said.
Live Christmas trees can trigger mold allergies
Flaming Eggs Tossed On Dead Christmas Tree Start Fire.
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Dog Credited With Saving 3-Year-Old In Lakewood House Fire -
TheDenverChannel.com
LAKEWOOD, Colo. - A series of unfortunate mistakes led to a house fire that left a Lakewood family homeless Monday.
The fire broke out just before 10 a.m. at a home in the 2400 block of Youngfield Street.
According to fire investigators, a woman was cooking eggs on the stove and turned around to get seasonings. When she turned back around, she found the pan on fire.
The quick-thinking woman grabbed the flaming pan and threw it on the back deck. Unfortunately, it landed near the dried Christmas tree from last December. The blaze quickly spread as the tree went up in flames.
The woman told fire investigators she sent the family dog downstairs to get her 3-year-old daughter. The dog nudged the child up the basement stairs to safety, she said.
No one was injured in the fire and a damage estimate was not immediately available.
Three adults and five children were displaced by the fire and were being aided by the Mile High Chapter of the American Red Cross.
Christmas Shoppers Rapidly Adopting Artificial Christmas Trees as Holiday Decoration of Choice.
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As preference for the artificial Christmas tree in the marketplace continues to grow, so does consumer perception about the traditionally tacky holiday option. Over 60% of those polled say they are more likely to purchase one than 10 years ago.
San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) December 12, 2006 - A recently conducted poll by Vizu indicates that artificial Christmas trees are surging in popularity in America. The data collected via consumer research shows that 57% of Americans who have trees use an artificial tree, meaning artificial Christmas trees now represent a much larger share of the overall Christmas tree market.
The conclusion was supported by numerous questions involving environmental friendliness and ease of maintenance, among other issues. 54.2% of those polled believe artificial Christmas trees are a more environmentally friendly choice than their natural counterparts, and an overwhelming 70% agree that artificial Christmas trees are easier to maintain.
As far as owning a real tree is concerned, 26% of those polled find vacuuming needles to be the biggest hassle of owning a tree, while 16% hate the task of unbundling and stringing Christmas lights. Transporting and disposing of the trees were cited as big hassles as well, along with removing ornaments from the tree after the holidays.
Asked to comment on the recent preference for artificial trees, Thomas Harman of Balsam Hill Christmas Tree Company noted that he's seen a growing trend in the marketplace over the last few years. "I think people are noticing that real-looking, meticulously crafted trees can be a better experience than the real thing. This year our True Needle trees are on the sets of the Ellen DeGeneres and Megan Mullally Shows and even in the Bill Clinton Presidential Library, and with trees looking this real there is no need to go through the hassle of dealing with a real tree."
As preference for the artificial Christmas tree in the marketplace continues to grow, so does consumer perception about the traditionally tacky holiday option. Over 60% of those polled say they are more likely to purchase one than 10 years ago. Popularity means that the artificial Christmas tree has officially arrived, having gained wide acceptance and credibility, and whether motivated by environment issues, irksome cleanup or the added convenience, consumers are finding reasons to make the switch.
About Balsam Hill:
Balsam Hill was founded on the idea that pre-lit artificial Christmas trees should look real. Whether you select an artificial tree due to allergies, fire safety laws or for the simplicity and ease of an artificial tree, Balsam Hill hopes you'll enjoy the artistry and craftsmanship of our products as much as we do.
Artificial Vs. Real Christmas Trees.
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Traditionalists May Scoff, But Many Americans Opt For Fake Trees
By Caitlin A. Johnson - (CBS)
Frankenmuth, Mich., is known as a 'Little Bavaria,' and its quaint charm attracts over 3 million visitors each year. It is an especially popular during the holiday season.
CBS Sunday Morning correspondent Bill Geist visited the town to see what makes it such a haven for the holiday spirit. He found Christmas in full swing at Bronners, the world's largest Christmas store, which sells a staggering amount of artificial Christmas trees.
"It's a virtual forest," tree buyer Sandra Schafsnitz told Geist. "We have about 200 varieties of trees that we carry each year... Anywhere from a white to silver. 12-foot, 14-foot, and we can even go on up to 30-foot for a special order tree."
Some would recoil at the thought of an artificial tree, but it's a choice that many Americans make. Traditionalists love real trees for their scent, and some people like cutting their own tree. But artificial trees leave no needles to clean up and come in a variety of styles and colors. Prelit Christmas trees, which come with the lights already on them, are very popular.
"They've come a long way with the prelit trees," Schafsnitz said. "They're absolutely gorgeous, and you virtually take them out of the box. The tree usually comes in three sections. Put the section in, shape it, and the next section in, shape it and you're ready to decorate."
Here, buying a Christmas tree is practically like buying a car, what with all the options. Schafsnitz showed Geist an upside-down corner tree and a half tree that can be used as a space saver. Some trees are made out of polyvinyl chloride.
Prelit trees also come with a variety of lights: white, colored, two-tone, fiber optic, and LEDs, or light emitting diodes. Some lights look like pinecones with melting snow.
There are also the trees that don't try to hide their fakeness, like tinsel tree and ice crystal tree.
"That's more of a fashion tree," Schafsnitz said.
Certainly the artificial trees are fast and easy - two qualities Americans look for in everything. More than half the Christmas trees displayed in our homes this year will be artificial, but real trees are making a comeback with an aggressive public relations campaign by the National Christmas Tree Association and with scientists at places like North Carolina State, spending long hours in the lab to breed a better Christmas tree.
Pete Blake of Blake's Farm in Armada, Mich., hopes Christmas tree geneticists will find a cure for the pressing needle retention problem. Meanwhile, he has a few tricks up his sleeve, like a contraption which furiously shakes the trees to get rid of pesky dead needles. He also developed a way to make putting the tree on the stand simple.
"We drill the tree and a person can put it up in 30 seconds," he said. "One person. We like to call it the 'marriage saver.'"
Blake thinks there's something greater at work for real trees.
I think it's coming back as a way to bring families together: old-fashioned Christmas," he said.
Artificial trees so real not even your exterminator knows for sure.
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Expensive artificial firs and pines push the limits of what's fake for Christmas
By Mark Roth, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
When Rich Martini opened his Chicago Christmas tree showroom this year, his exterminator said he would have to charge extra to take care of the live trees.
Except there weren't any.
Mr. Martini's Omaha-based company, Holiday Bright Lights, makes artificial trees for the upscale catalog firm Hammacher Schlemmer. His goal is to create a fake tree that can't be distinguished from the real thing, and, if the exterminator is any judge, he's succeeding.
Technology used to be content to mass produce affordable consumer goods without worrying too much about their verisimilitude (think Insulbrick). But today, it often strives to simulate reality, and Christmas isn't immune to the phenomenon.
So there are companies dedicated to selling you fake trees that look as though you cut them down yesterday. And because no one has perfected plastic that exudes a long-lasting pine scent, there are other companies that are happy to give you the synthetic equivalent in sprays, candles and oils.
The difference between a run-of-the-mill tree and a high-end model that looks almost real shows up in the needles.
It is there, in the shape, configuration and coloring of the tiny fronds, that you will see the contrast between a $100 tree and a $500 tree, said Tom Harman, chief executive officer of Balsam Hill Christmas Tree Co., of Redwood City, Calif., which makes trees with prices ranging from $280 to $2,300.
Balsam Hill. Hammacher Schlemmer and the upscale home products company, Frontgate, of Cincinnati, dominate the ritzier end of the artificial tree market. Together, the three provide 5 percent or less of the 9 million artificial Christmas trees sold each year in the United States, but they set the standard for trying to make fake look as real as possible.
And while live trees still dominate the U.S. market -- nearly 33 million were sold last year -- sales of artificial trees have risen at a faster rate over the past five years.
Most of those have been mass-market artificial trees, whose needles are made by slitting large sheets of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The resulting fronds are thin and flat, Mr. Harman said, and the cheaper the tree, the more the needles tend to be a dark green monochrome not found in nature.
The high-end companies make their needles out of multihued polyethylene (PE), and each "species," Noble fir or Vermont spruce or Scotch pine, has its own molds for the six-inch needle segments.
Hand painting, to add a touch of blue to the underside of the needles and brown to the stems, is also standard in the more expensive trees, said Mr. Martini, of Holiday Bright Lights.
Frontgate, whose trees range from $295 to $995, offers simulated bark on the trunks for an added touch of realism, but the other two companies reject that frill. "When the trunk is a steel pole wrapped with lights, you don't want people to see the trunk," Mr. Harman said.
If you imagined these trees are higher priced because they're made in the United States, you're in for a disappointment.
The three companies' trees are made in China, as are 85 percent of all artificial trees.
Besides the painting, most of the assembly of artificial trees is done by hand, from attaching the needles to the branches to stringing the lights so the wires don't show, and doing that at American labor rates would make them cost prohibitive, the tree makers said.
It's hard to find an artificial tree at any price t hese days that comes without lights, Mr. Harman added. For taller trees that come in three or four sections, there are electrical connectors between each segment.
Making a tree that looks real is still as much an art as a science, the executives said.
For instance, even with his most authentic-looking tree, the Vermont white spruce, Mr. Harman uses some of the cheaper PVC needles on the inside to help shield the trunk.
And his Scotch pine does not mimic the bushy tree found in the woods, he said, but the carefully pruned version found on a tree farm.
After exporting samples of the trees he wanted to simulate to China, Mr. Martini said, he developed "five-finger," "three finger" and "two-finger" molds for his needle tips so he could vary them along the trunk for a more realistic appearance.
Both men are proud of how lifelike their trees are.
To get Hammacher Schlemmer's business, Mr. Martini said, "I sent them an e-mail with pictures and said one of these is real and one of them is fake, and they couldn't tell the difference."
At his showroom in California, Mr. Harman said, "people are constantly coming in and trying to smell that Vermont spruce."
Because fake trees are designed to last for 10, 20 or 30 years, some surveys show they now make up a majority of the trees that are displayed each season.
Still, the National Christmas Tree Association, which promotes real trees, is optimistic about the future of the live tree industry, spokesman Rick Dungey said, especially because its surveys of Generation Y members, who are between the ages of 6 and 29 this year, have shown "they are more like their grandparents than their parents. They prefer family traditions and environmentally friendly products."
When it comes to the expensive artificial trees, Mr. Dungey said, "I can think of a lot of things I'd rather spend $1,200 on than a giant green toilet bowl brush, but that's just me."
Mr. Harman responded mildly.
He said: "The main thing you're giving up with an artificial tree is the smell. But the biggest advantage is, you don't have the hassle of going out and getting the tree. Our trees are great for busy young professionals or baby boomers.
"The lights are also a huge thing. Everyone knows when you take your lights out from last year you're going to spend half an hour untangling them from the previous year. And you don't have to water the tree, so if you go away and visit family for part of the holidays, you don't come back and find all the needles have fallen off."
The other feature that distinguishes the more expensive trees, Mr. Martini said, is the quality of the prestrung lights. There are generally more of them, sometimes twice as many per foot as on a midrange tree, and, in his case, they are designed to last longer.
All Christmas tree lights now contain shunts, so that if a bulb burns out, the current will keep flowing to the other bulbs in the string.
In a standard string, that means the remaining bulbs get a little extra current, which causes them to wear out faster. In his trees, though, Mr. Martini says, each bulb contains a tiny chip, and if a bulb burns out, the chip absorbs the same amount of electricity the bulb did, preventing the other bulbs from getting extra current.
It's these kinds of details that Mr. Martini obsesses over as he strives to make a premier artificial tree.
He realizes he's hopelessly single-minded.
"Most guys have pictures of cars or beautiful women in their offices. I have pictures of trees."
He also recently became engaged.
His fiance's name? Noelle.
