Despite the season's first blizzard and impassable traffic, the Manhasset Park District held the Annual Tree Light Ceremony on Friday, December 5. Commissioners Pat Roberts and Mark Sauvigne, along with the Chamber of Commerce's Nancy Morris welcomed Manhasset's intrepid to the Mary Jane Davies Gazebo where they snacked on donuts and hot chocolate while the poster contest winners were announced. Those winners were for Nursery and Kindergarten: Peter Furlong and Jillian Calderone from Our Lady of Grace and Kristina DiCarlo from Munsey Park; Grade 1: Patrick Pollicino, Bryant Born and Tara Ferraris from St. Mary's; Grade 2:Cara DePippo and Halie LaViano from Munsey Park and Emily Koufakis and Erin Coleman from St. Mary's; Grade 3: Elise Simon from Munsey Park, Courtney Smotkin from Shelter Rock and Caitlin Vanderberg from St. Mary's; Grade 4: Maggie Furlong from LI School for Gifted, Grant Weiss from Munsey Park, and Regan McCooey from St. Mary's; Grade 5-6: Megan Malafronte and Sarah Furlong from Shelter Rock and Patrick DePippo from Munsey Park. The overall winner was Megan Malafronte from Shelter Rock whose art teacher is Myrna Schein.

Special recognition was given to Mrs. Haas' kindergarten class at Shelter Rock for their combined effort and the Poster Committee of Nancy Morris, Sue Cannabella, Michelle Gregorek, Laura Hull and Deidre Denihan.

Although many of the ceremony's events were cancelled, Nancy Morris led the group in a round of cheerful carols and everyone posed for a photograph in front of the tree. Not to let the hot chocolate go to waste, Park District employees and attendees passed cups out to drivers stuck on Plandome Road.

The Park District, in partnership with the Town of North Hempstead and Americana Manhasset, hosts the annual Tree Lighting Ceremony. The Chamber of Commerce dedicated the poster contest prizes in loving memory of Betsy Chesebrough. Thanks also go to Minuteman Press for donating the printing of brochures and Eileen Bachor for the brochure's beautiful watercolor of the gazebo. Joy to the world, indeed.