Two Towns Battle For Title Of Tallest Christmas Tree

Here are the morning’s top stories on Wednesday, November 27, 2024…

• Christmas is just around the corner. So let’s head to Eureka in Humboldt County, where Sequoia Park Zoo is preparing for the holidays with a living Christmas tree that may just take the title of tallest in the nation from the neighboring town of Ferndale.
• Pacific Gas and Electric is asking the California Public Utilities Commission to approve another rate hike. That’s meant to generate more than $3 billion to help connect customers to the grid and make capacity upgrades.

Two Humboldt County Communities Battle Over Christmas Tree Record

In Eureka in Humboldt County, the Sequoia Park Zoo is preparing to unveil what it’s calling the “tallest living lighted Christmas tree in the country.” Although zoo officials won’t disclose the exact height of the massive tree, it’s set to be on display starting the second week of December.

Why is the height of a Christmas tree important? Because neighboring Ferndale has long held the title of “America’s Tallest Living Christmas Tree.” “The trees are part of the tourist draw,” said North Coast Journal reporter Jennifer Kumiko Cahill. “The Christmas time draw is very much Ferndale. If you wanted to go to a town that looked like the little miniature Christmas town that your grandma wouldn’t let you touch when she put it out for the holidays, that’s Ferndale. That’s what it looks like. And when they have this big tree lighting in the middle of town, everybody kind of comes down. They have hot cocoa. It’s a big event.”

Kumiko Cahill says there’s definitely a “friendly” rivalry between the two cities. And she reports that officials at Sequoia Park Zoo say they have an even bigger backup tree that’s waiting to be decked out.

PG&E Rates Could Go Up Again As It Aims To Spend More On Connecting New Customers

Electricity rates could be going up again if PG&E’s most recent request for a spending increase is accepted by California regulators.

The request follows three temporary rate increases over the past year and a much larger general rate adjustment approved in 2023. PG&E’s rates have doubled over the past decade, which it says is the result of its heightened need to mitigate wildfires and handle repairs after increasingly severe storms.

This time, the company says it is seeking to raise the caps on its capital costs to connect more new users to the energy grid, which could mean an additional charge on customers’ bills depending on how much they spend.