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Troy Deroche, an arborist for the city of Portland, operates a bucket lift next to a 40-foot blue spruce tree in Portland’s Deering neighborhood. The tree was selected to be displayed in Monument Square as the city’s official holiday tree.
A half-dozen children from Portland’s Deering neighborhood pose for photographs in front of the tree Wednesday. Matt McKinney, center-right, lives across Hartley Street from the tree’s now-former home in the neighborhood, while Ryan Wallace, right, lives in a home abutting the tree. Wallace said his three sons are “sad to see the tree go, but it gets to go out with a bang.”
A crane lowers the tree onto a flatbed truck for its journey to Monument Square.
The flatbed truck – with a police escort – approaches Monument Square to deliver the holiday tree. The truck departed Hartley Street, drove downtown via Forest Avenue and then turned onto Congress Street.
Workers from the city of Portland, Keeley Crane and Shaw Brothers prepare the tree to be hoisted by crane off a flatbed truck into its final location in Monument Square.
A crane lifts the tree from the flatbed truck as the workers prepare to set it into position.
The Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument looms in the background as Damian Strout, an arborist for the city of Portland, attaches the tree to a crane so it can be hoisted into position.
Workers use ropes to guide the tree into position.
Workers use ropes to guide the tree into position as a crane lowers it.
Onlookers on Congress Street watch as the tree is put in place in Monument Square for the holiday season.
Troy Deroche, an arborist for the city of Portland, prepares to attach guy wires to the tree from a bucket lift.
Arborist Troy Deroche hovers near the holiday tree’s top while in a bucket lift.
Dick Hall, who donated the holiday tree from his Hartley Street property, takes a photo as the blue spruce is erected in Monument Square. Hall, who has lived by the tree for about 35 years, said it was about 20 feet tall when he moved in. He said he decided to donate it because it was “getting too big for the spot.” He plans to replace the tree by planting a balsam fir.
City workers, including city arborist Mark Reiland, center, clean tree debris from Congress Street after the tree was put in place. The tree is scheduled to be lit for the holiday season at about 4:30 p.m. Nov. 29, following seasonal festivities that will include a performance by “American Idol” finalist and Cumberland native Julia Gagnon.

Ben McCanna has been a staff photographer and occasional writer at the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram since 2015 and has been working for newspapers since 2010. Ben studied creative writing...

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