It’s not the TransAmerica pyramid but it is a looming San Francisco landmark of sorts. Atop the Laurel Heights building on California Street stands a Christmas tree of lights, providing an aerial reminder of the holiday season each year. The tree was turned on Wednesday after a week’s worth of “construction” by building engineers.

Already an established tradition when UCSF bought the building from Fireman’s Fund in 1985, the multi-colored tree can be seen from many parts of the city. The tree is actually a 30-foot pole with 55 strings of lights (1500 bulbs in all), in a variety of colors: clear, red, green and blue, and designed in a “spiral” pattern. Kept lit from 5 p.m. to midnight and 5 a.m. to 8 a.m. until January 2, the lights are on all day on Christmas and New Year’s day.

The tree is quite popular with neighboring residents. “We get a lot of calls from neighbors about when we’ll light the tree,” says Shirley Beuttas, Laurel Heights building manager.

Although Fireman’s Fund did not require UCSF to rekindle the tree tradition, Chancellor Krevans assured neighbors in 1985 that the tree tradition would continue. So each December, building engineers raise the pole, secure it and use a pulley to hoist the strings of lights that culminate in a non-denominational circle.

Engineer Richard Domenichini has been on tree duty for 11 years. “One time we were putting up the tree and we could hear people on the street below saying, ‘Yeah! The tree’s going up.’” In addition to Domenichini, this arboreal message of holiday cheer was brought to you by engineers Alex Polyak, Steven Markovich and John Ambrose.

By Paula Murphy

1st appeared 12/12/97

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