The Oyster Bay Chamber of Commerce Christmas tree has had a challenging experience this holiday season. The town had plans to remove it, calling it a visual obstruction and it was the object of bulb snatchers.

"Seventy Christmas bulbs were stolen from the hamlet Christmas tree on the corner of Audrey and Shore Avenue. It happened sometime between Wednesday, Dec. 12 at 10 p.m. and Thursday, Dec. 13 at 9 a.m. The chamber replaced the stolen bulbs immediately," said Daria Lamb, president of the Oyster Bay Chamber of Commerce.

Daria and David Lamb and their son Wilbur took about 20 minutes to replace the bulbs on Thursday afternoon. Friday morning they discovered that now 150 lights had been stolen.

"The board will decide if they will be replaced," she said on Friday afternoon. "It took us a long time to replace the bulbs; it must have taken them longer to take the 150 bulbs," she said. "They also needed a large bag to carry them off!" The board had them replaced a second time.

There were 16 strands of lights originally purchased for the tree each supplied with C-9 bulbs, the large size ones.

The chamber had a well attended holiday celebration and tree lighting on Sunday, Dec. 9. "About 100 people watched as the lights were turned on," said Ms. Lamb.

So far the many smaller Christmas trees decorated by local groups are still standing firmly. Last year some were stolen and replaced, others were knocked down in a strong wind. This year they have been wired into the concrete planters to make sure they aren't blown away in a sudden wind.

Thirty-five trees were placed in planters. Some were sponsored by various businesses in town.

Seventeen merchants and organizations sponsored trees in town by giving money for the purchase of some of the trees. They include: St. Dominic Church, Nobman's Hardware Emporium; Caribbean Clear of Oyster Bay; Rich-Bern Travel; Dello Brothers II Jewelers; John Specce Agency; Highlights Hair Salon; Marie's Toys; Pleasant Valley Gallery & Gifts; Harry Whaley & Son; Oyster Bay Travel; Appliance World of Oyster Bay; Brooks, Robb & Callahan; Hallock Chevrolet; Stop & Shop of Oyster Bay; JAYMAR Marketing; Bernstein's Home Center.

Other people who helped with the tree lighting included: Adler Landscaping; Book Mark Café; DeVine Funeral Home; Dunkin' Donuts; Hood AME Zion Church (Rev. Kenneth Nelson sang a solo); HSBC Bank; Oyster Bay Fire Co. No. 1 (they provided the Santa Claus); Oyster Bay Jewish Center; Pine Island Etch; State Bank of LI: Third Alternative; Town of Oyster Bay General Services (for help in decorating the tree and lighting it); Verrelli's Market.

Local non-profits who decorated the trees include; Boy Scout Troop 253; Girl Scouts; Learning Tree Nursery; Building Blocks Nursery; Oyster Babies; Friends of the Bay; Oyster Bay Historical Society; Raynham Hall Museum; the Keystone Club of the Boys & Girls Club; Doubleday Babcock Senior Center; North Shore Community Church; Mill Neck Services; North Shore Assembly of God; Hispanic Cultural Society; Oyster Bay Manor.

All the organizations were very excited about decorating the trees, said Daria.

As for the hamlet tree at Townsend Park, the town still plans to remove it, but there has been opposition to the project, expressed by local residents.

When the Oyster Bay Civic Association heard that the hamlet tree was in danger, they contacted the town and strongly urged that nothing be done to the tree until some research had been done because of residents' concerns. The OBCA wishes to either leave the tree where it is or to have it transplanted.