Fashion Island's 90-foot tree is a little shorter after its top hits a store as it arrives for holidays - Los Angeles Times
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Fashion Island’s 90-foot tree is a little shorter after its top hits a store as it arrives for holidays

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A crew works Friday to place a 90-foot white fir tree at the Neiman Marcus-Bloomingdale’s courtyard at Fashion Island in Newport Beach, where it will be decorated for the holidays.  (Kevin Chang / Daily Pilot)
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A maintenance worker removes the tip of Fashion Island’s 90-foot holiday tree from a wall of the Optical Shop of Aspen after it struck the store Friday while being hoisted into place at the Neiman Marcus-Bloomingdale’s courtyard.  (Kevin Chang / Daily Pilot)
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A worker positions a harness for lifting a 90-foot Mount Shasta white fir tree that arrived Friday morning at Fashion Island in Newport Beach.  (Kevin Chang / Daily Pilot)
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Fashion Island’s 90-foot tree is lowered into the Neiman Marcus-Bloomingdale’s courtyard to be covered in lights and 20,000 ornaments for holiday festivities.  (Kevin Chang / Daily Pilot)
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Workers secure Fashion Island’s new 90-foot tree in the ground at the Neiman Marcus-Bloomingdale’s courtyard on Friday.  (Kevin Chang / Daily Pilot)
By Hannah Fry, Kathleen Luppi
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A 90-foot tree from Mt. Shasta that arrived at Fashion Island on Friday for the holidays is standing a little shorter than expected after the tip of the white fir ended up embedded in a wall of a nearby optical shop during its installation at the Newport Beach mall.

As the tree was being hoisted into place at the Neiman Marcus-Bloomingdale’s courtyard, it swung and the top broke through a wall of the Optical Shop of Aspen, sending branches, needles and pieces of the wall to the ground.

“The installation team that provided the 90-foot tree had a small mishap this morning, causing minimal damage to a store facade,” according to a statement by Bill Lobdell, vice president of communications for the Irvine Co., Fashion Island’s owner. “The tree was installed without further incident.”

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The slightly shorter tree will be decked out with lights and about 20,000 ornaments in time for lighting ceremonies featuring Mickey Mouse and his friends at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 7 and 8.

After the official lighting ceremonies, the tree also will be lighted at 5 p.m. daily from Nov. 9 to Jan. 3. It will be recycled after the holidays.

Fashion Island is at 401 Newport Center Drive. For more information, visit shopfashionisland.com.
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