Our very own chainsaw lady cuts tree for governor

Last Thursday, corps member Mary Hammes deftly took down a towering balsam that has become the 26th Governor’s Christmas Tree. She assisted Art Widerstrom, a forester with the Department of Natural Resources for more than 40 years. His colleagues call him “Father Christmas” because selecting and cutting the Governor’s Christmas tree has been his job for decades. This year, Widerstrom passed on the honor of cutting to Hammes, perhaps signaling a change for the future. Said Hammes on WCCO-TV: “I grew up in Saint Paul, so it will be fun to see it in the yard and know that I cut it down.” The tree was delivered to the governor on Monday.