The singing voices and dancing feet of Hicksville's young heralded in the Holiday Season at the Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony in Kennedy Park last weekend

Hundreds of spectators packed the park as the tall evergreen, along with 22 smaller Christmas trees, were lit for the first time this holiday season. Dancers from the Ella Marie School of Dance, and singers and musicians from Hicksville High School entertained the more than 250 people on hand to see the lighting.

The tree lighting is co-sponsored by the Hicksville-Jericho Rotary Club and the Hicksville Fire Department. The annual event, that began as a simple tree lighting with little fanfare by the Rotary Club many years ago, has turned into a holiday show that includes over 25 community organizations from throughout Hicksville.

The smaller trees that surround the large evergreen are decorated by groups such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Boy and Girl Scouts, youth leagues, political clubs, etc. They had been donated by Agway and Home Depot.

According to Ellen Bruwer, president, Hicksville-Jericho Rotary Club, the smaller trees were added to the display to increase community involvement in the event. She continued to say that the response by the community this year was the best since the Rotary Club extended the lighting ceremony three years ago.

The show began as the 13- to 15-year-old students from the Ella Marie studio danced to a Christmas medley. The 10- to 12-year-old Starlets followed them as they danced to Run-Run Rudolph and Santa Claus is Coming to Town... In all, over 50 dancers from the school performed in the show.

The Hicksville High School Madrigals, under the direction of Daniel Kristoff, and a Horn Quintet from Hicksville High School also performed several holiday songs. The dancers came back out onto the stage one last time as Jan Richards led them and the audience in a round of Christmas carols with his accordion.

Ella Columbo, whose dance studio performs at many community events throughout the year, explained that her strong commitment to the community stems back to a nun she used to work with when she first came to Hicksville over thirty years ago. "She always told me to do something for the community because you will get it back," said Columbo. "I started with 80 students and now we have 1000."

She continued, "The community has been good to me in the 36 years I have been here. People know me and I am so proud of everything going on in the community and I am proud of my school."

Columbo was joined in praising the entire tree lighting ceremony by Supervisor John Venditto, Assemblyman Marc Herbst, Councilman Thomas Clark and County Legislator Edward Mangano, each of whom was on hand to enjoy the festivities.

An addition to the tree lighting display this year was a large decorative ornament that will be used in the park during the holiday season for years to come. The ornament, a gift to the community from the 350th Anniversary Committee, depicts Santa clinging to a rope dangling from a hot air balloon that is carrying his reindeer.

"I thought it was great," said Columbo. "I was very happy with it and I think next year it will be even better now that more people know what we are doing."