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Christmas tree planted in pothole to get city's attention

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — Something residents of one Pennsylvania neighborhood want for Christmas is a gigantic pothole on their street fixed. One creative woman harnessed the spirit of the holidays to help draw attention to the situation and soon, others joined in.

Drivers on Sturdevant Street have been experiencing a bumpy ride lately. A pothole grew so big that public works put a metal slab over it, but over the weekend, an artificial Christmas tree stuck out of the hole. The tree is decorated with ornaments, star and all the trimmings. It's the handiwork of Marietta Spak.

"I was upstairs in the attic and I was looking for more Christmas decorations and I came upon the tree. I thought that would look nice in the hole," Spak told WNEP. It was her attempt to keep drivers from hitting the hole and bring attention to what she believes is a safety issue. "It can cause so many problems with these holes. That's not just a pothole, that is sinkage. And it's starting to spider web," she said.

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Gary Muchler has lived in this neighborhood for more than 60 years. He and others have only grown more frustrated as the hole grew and grew. Eventually, they discovered, they could fit a Santa Claus in the hole with the tree. And then Muchler posed with a watering can for his wife. "We walked down here, she took a picture, next thing you know her phone was blowing up like crazy," said Muchler.

Wilkes-Barre Department of Public Works is aware of the sinkhole and the holiday decorations. "We have a lot of comedians in the area, that like to put trees in there, I think it's funny too, Christmas spirit," said DPW worker David Iskra.

The sinkhole will be getting fixed soon. A company that the city contracts to do its paving is expected to get that job done within a day or so.