Norwalk Blames Squirrels For Chewing Christmas Tree Lights

NORWALK, Conn. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Squirrels are out to ruin Christmas in one Connecticut city.

Officials in Norwalk are blaming the critters for chewing through the wires on several strands of lights on the Christmas tree outside city hall.

Ken Hughes, Norwalk's superintendent of parks, told The Hour that when he tested the lights Monday in advance of Wednesday night's official tree lighting ceremony, only about a quarter lit up. That's when he noticed that a wire near the bottom of the tree had been chewed through.

It took someone in a bucket truck more than three hours to go up and down the tree to find and replace other chewed wires. Fortunately, the strands of lights only cost about $17 each.

"We're blaming the squirrels because there's no one else that could get up in the top of the tree," Director of Recreation and Parks Michael Mocciae told The Hour. "And they're not cut. They're chewed. They're gnawed."

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