Newton lights up town square
The square in downtown Newton lit up Sunday night despite the rainy weather.
“According to The Weather Channel, this was here to stay,” said Lori Wray of the city’s Festival and Events Committee’s decision to cancel most of the festivities planned for “Light up the Town.”
Probably the biggest disappointment was missing Santa Claus.
“A lot of kids left here in tears tonight because they wanted to see Santa,” said Kim Cantor of Newton.
Cantor came to the event for the first time this year with her husband, David. For him, “Light up the Town” is a “traditional thing.”
Cantor herself was disappointed in the cancellations.
“I wanted to ride the hayride and have hot chocolate, because it’s cold,” she laughed.
The decision to cancel the event was made in conjunction with the city’s Appearance Commission’s decision to cancel its annual luminary display in the city’s three cemeteries known as “A Time to Remember.” That group made their decision after getting 50 of an estimated 1,600 luminaries lit by 4 p.m., when the rain hit. The members waited about 30 minutes before calling off the display.
“The committee is really disappointed and sorry that we couldn’t have it, but we appreciate those who did come out,” Wray said.
The rain caused problems with the electricity needed for some of the planned events - some of the groups scheduled to entertain at the event could not bring their instruments and equipment out in the rain; equipment used for the opening ceremony, which proceeded as planned, could not be used.
However, Mayor Robert Mullinax addressed the people who braved the chilly rain without a microphone, thanking them for coming to the event, and Becky Webb, daughter of longtime event supporter and committee member Ron Webb, flipped the switch that lit the tree and lights surrounding the 1924 Courthouse. The committee also placed bells at the top of the Christmas tree to honor Ron Webb, who passed away this year.
The committee decided not to set a makeup date for the event.
“We tried to do that a few years ago, and it rained on that day, too,” Wray said.
According to the National Weather Service, the rain, which dropped about .11 of an inch Sunday, will end around dawn Tuesday.
John Tomko, meteorologist with the Greenville, S.C., office, said despite a drop in temperature Sunday, an approaching cold front has yet to hit the Hickory area. As of Sunday evening, the front was still in Louisiana, not expected to affect this area until tonight.
Sunday’s temperature drop is due to cold air damming, when rain-cooled air gets pushed up against the mountains.
Temperatures will gradually decrease with a high of 59 degrees today, dropping to 47 degrees tonight. The temperature will hit a low of 31 degrees Tuesday night.
By Dee Henry
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