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	Vol.7, No 56, December 7, 1999
	Ceremony sparks holiday spirit By Tom Harshbarger Daily Forty-Niner Long Beach Mayor Beverly O'Neill capped a daylong celebration Sunday by officially lighting the city's 30-foot Christmas tree at the Convention Center. The celebration, called "Ice and Lights," began in the afternoon with activities such as horse-drawn wagon rides and ice skating at the Long Beach Arena. This was the city's first public tree-lighting ceremony, O'Neill said. O'Neill spoke to the crowd and, with the help of Ice Dogs mascot Spike, flipped a switch that set the gold bulbs aglow, bringing cheers from the hundreds of onlookers. "What a wonderful night this is for the city," O'Neill said. "I hope this becomes an annual tradition." The Long Beach Junior Concert Band members, dressed in toy soldier costumes with large yellow feathers in their caps, started the ceremony by banging out such holiday favorites as "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "Frosty the Snowman." The dancers and drill team members twirled themselves and their flags to the music. The crowd, braving a chilly, breezy evening, responded warmly to the event. Folks counted down with O'Neill as she prepared to light the tree. "I thought the energy and enthusiasm was great," Long Beach resident Susan Redfield said. "It was a perfect night." Among the other activities earlier in the day were strolling carolers and picture taking with Santa Claus, and plenty of children were around to enjoy them.  Many volunteers and civic groups, such as the Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Kiwanis Club, helped organize the celebration, said Randy Gordon, emcee and president of the Chamber of Commerce. He and O'Neill, among others, expressed gratitude for the citizens' help. "It was a real great opportunity for us to see a lot of the fine people who live here in Long Beach," said Michael Glaub, a visitors bureau employee. "A lot of the volunteers we have here were all willing to donate their services at a moment's notice."		Ceremony sparks holiday spirit   Residents fill L.B. church for Christmas concert   Film shows effects of alienation   Christmasfest celebrates Filipino culture   Winners of Swiss Web contest to be announced   Women's center holds vigil to mourn tragic incident Internet saves lives   Give me education not ego gratification   Number Tax   Benefits for all inaccurate   Police responsible for riots Faces on campus   Belmont Shore parade packs Second Street USC freezes Long Beach State hockey   49ers block two out of NCAA's   Men's basketball appears uninspired in tourney losses Fall 99 ISSUES DAILY 49ER HOMEPAGE
Forty-Niner Publications, Department of Journalism, California State University, Long Beach ©1999 All rights reserved.