Acree agrees to head Christmas Tyme in Colusa

Christmas Tyme in Colusa is officially under way.

Marilyn Acree has agreed to be the point person for the organizational committee for the event, which is tentatively set for Dec. 7 — on Market Street.

"I am excited about it. I enjoy doing that kind of stuff," said Acree, who is a project manager for an insurance firm and does a lot of marketing work.

Christmas Tyme in Colusa was selected as the new name at a planning meeting held Wednesday night in City Hall.

"We set up a structure. Basically I will be the project head, and then hopefully we will have teams for booths, marketing and sponsorships, (general logistics) and entertainment," Acree said.

She said several people have stepped forward to help, but team leaders and other volunteers are needed.

Acree knows some people will view this as her trying to get publicity for her campaign for City Council.

"I don't think it is going to hurt (having the attention), but the main purpose is to bring it back to wheat it used to be," Acree said.

Three seats are up in the Nov. 6 election.

The event is returning to Market Street where it was held for 14 years under the name of Old Tyme Christmas.

The last two years it has been Home Town Christmas and was held around the historic Colusa County Courthouse.

There are still some key details to work out, not the least of which is to get a Caltrans permit to close down Market Street, which is part of Highway 20.

Getting permission to close down the street has never been an issue in the past. However, there have been difficulties during some events in getting all the vendors packed up and gone to meet the Caltrans' deadline for reopening.

And the city still has not set a budget for running the celebration.

Councilman Kirk Kelleher, a member of the ad hoc committee, said that issue will go back to the council.

"We have been bickering back and forth on that ... but we have not come up with a (firm number)," Kelleher said.

Mayor Pat Landreth, the other ad hoc member, has reported that overtime for police, fire and public works employees will be about $3,900.

An informal online survey by the Colusa County Sun-Herald indicated the majority of responders did not believe the city should pay more than $5,000.