Eyecandy of the week

Property: State Christmas tree, Lansing

This year’s state Christmas tree is perfectly fine, and that’s perfectly fine.

The first rule in selecting and decorating a public holiday tree is simple: Don’t screw it up. This seems like a low bar to clear — and it is — but you can’t take it for granted. Take, for example, 2012’s red and green striped debacle, which looked like a turnip dressed in an ill-fitting Christmas sweater.

This year’s tree is nicely shaped and tastefully lit. At about 50 feet, it’s smaller than normal — most state Christmas trees have clocked in at 60 to 70 feet — and looked fairly unimpressive before it was lit. But now that it’s illuminated, the proportion looks perfect in relation to the Capitol dome. And the multi-pointed star at the top of the tree is a nice touch.

This year’s tree is a fine holiday adornment to downtown Lansing. Now if only we could get rid of those obnoxious red balls … .

“Eye candy of the Week” is our weekly look at some of the nicer properties in Lansing. It rotates each with Eyesore of the Week. If you have a suggestion, please e-mail eye@lansingcitypulse.com or call Berl Schwartz at 999-5061.