Last season was Ballard's illuminated holiday snowflakes last appearance on Ballard Avenue and Market Street.

The Ballard Chamber of Commerce has decided to not put them up this year due to the wear and tear on the decorations and little financial or volunteer assistance they've had in the past years.

However, in place of the snowflakes the chamber has decided to bring back the "pay-per-tree" program, where stores can sponsor the decorating of the trees in front of their stores with lights.

"We are not putting up the snowflakes this year because they are eight years old now and they are getting weather worn," said Beth Miller, executive director of the Ballard Chamber. "They are up at the rainiest darkest time of the year. In order to use them again, we'd have to refurbish the lights and garland. This would cost a minimum of $200 per flake and we have 70 flakes."

Very grateful for the volunteers who help year after year in putting up and taking down the snowflakes, the chamber explains it's a bigger job than the amount of people who come out to help can handle.

Having to pay for things such as liability insurance, replacement bulbs for the flakes and a place to store them all year round the chamber collected only $300 in donations last year while incurring $6,000 in expenses.

"Last year, the chamber paid professionals for the installation, but we didn't' get nearly enough donations to cover the cost. If the program was to continue, those that benefit from the lights (merchants) would need to share the costs. We took money out of our own reserve fund to pay for the upkeep of the snowflakes. We just can't do it anymore; we're a non-profit and receive no government funding or any financial help. All the money we raise is either through the SeafoodFest or dues paid by our members," said Miller.

Choosing the fairest thing for all and wanting to keep the holiday spirit in Ballard, the chamber decided to put the lights back in the trees. The chamber board decided it was more equitable to string lights in the trees on a tree by tree basis. This way, merchants can be assured that the tree in front of their business is illuminated.

"The National Bird Control has decided to help out and has offered their assistance in putting lights up. We've encouraged people to pool their resources so the idea is that we will pay as we go so we won't incur any expenses above what we can get donations for," Miller said.

With 20 trees paid and ready to be decorated, Miller has seen the support Ballard businesses and community is giving to the new holiday decoration program.

"A couple of chamber members who don't have businesses on Market Street or Ballard Avenue have given money because they want Ballard to look nice for the holidays," she said.

Very adamant about keeping the holiday spirit and decorations up in Ballard, the chamber sees it as an incentive for people to shop in the neighborhood.

"We definitely want to create a festive shopping atmosphere but we need help to take on that expense if we don't have the revenues to do so," said Miller. "We want to help our businesses attract shoppers for the holidays and are willing to oversee a lighting project if others in the community would volunteer both time and money. The chamber is a member-driven organization and its annual business plan is determined by its members and the revenues generated. Very few merchants are chamber members. If more of them joined the chamber, we could take on more projects. We would very much like to have a merchants committee within the chamber to handle these types of community projects, but we need more participation to do so."

Trying to wrap up decoration plans in time for the beginning of the holiday shopping season the chamber will be accepting sponsorship of trees until Dec. 1.

For more information, interest in assisting with the program or sponsoring a tree contact Beth Miller at 784-9705 or email at beth@ballardchamber.com

Allison Espiritu may be reached at 783-1244 or allisone@robinsonnews.com.