For the fourth time since 2006, the official White House Christmas Tree is coming from the Lehighton area.

Crystal Spring Tree Farm, located along Route 902 in Mahoning Township (next to Mahoning Township Elementary School) has won the honors of providing the tree. Crystal Spring also provided the tree in 2006, 2010 and 2013.In three of those four years, Crystal Spring gained the honor through the national convention.A tree farm is eligible to provide the tree only once every four years, but that rule was broken last year.A tree grower in New Jersey was chosen to provide the tree. However, when officials for the White House went to that tree farm, they didn't find a tree they felt met the criteria. So Crystal Spring was again asked to do the honors.Chris Botek, owner of Crystal Spring, said this year is special for the tree farm because it marks the farm's 50th anniversary."This is like putting the cherry on top of the sundae," Botek said, about being selected to provide the tree for the president and his family.It's also the first time the same tree farm was had the grand champion tree at the convention three times.In 2006, Crystal Spring traveled to the convention in Portland, Oregon, to compete.In 2010, the event was held in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.Just getting to Kalamazoo this year to compete had its hurdles.The competition was held last weekend, so Botek, his parents, and his daughters, Ashley, 16, and Lauren, 11, planned to leave Thursday morning.They took two trees with them, one as a backup in case a branch broke or the top got damaged on the first tree. Both were Douglas firs.The night before they left, there was a terrible thunderstorm with lightning. The trees weren't damaged, but they couldn't be cut down until Thursday.Botek went to his farm at 5:30 a.m., cut the trees down, and loaded them into a custom crate he built for his pickup that would protect the trees from the weather.They left at 7:30 a.m.Because of the summer heat, they had to stop halfway there to put ice on the trees to keep them hydrated.At the convention, they noticed a gorgeous Fraser fir from a farm in West Virginia."When I saw that come in, I was worried," Botek said. "That was a spectacular tree. I thought it would win."Six judges of the National Christmas Tree Growers reviewed the trees and selected four finalists.Then general membership and members of the public voted to select the champion. Only members of the public who have a natural tree for Christmas at their homes were eligible to vote.The West Virginia tree was named first runner-up.Botek said there is no monetary reward for providing the White House Christmas tree."It's just the honor of putting the tree in the Blue Room of the White House," he said.Crystal Spring Tree Farm was started by Botek's father, Frances, in 1964 on a 25-acre tract.Botek bought the business from his parents, Frances and Margaret Botek, about five years ago.Today it comprises about 250 acres and has 15 different varieties of trees.Besides providing the White House tree four times, Crystal Spring has been supplying the trees for the state Capitol in Harrisburg for about 18 years. That's determined by a bidding process.Even though Botek has traveled to Washington three times, he has never met the president.In 2006, he was greeted by Laura Bush. In 2010, Michelle Obama accepted the tree.The tree is generally delivered in late November.Chris said officials of the White House will visit his farm in late September or early October to select a tree.The chosen tree will be about 20 feet, then cut to 18 feet for display in the White House. Then the delivery date will be set.He said although the final decision on the tree will be by the White House officials, "I have one in mind."Only one other grower from Pennsylvania was represented at the national convention.It was a tree farm near Williamsport.Tune in tonightChris Botek of Crystal Spring Tree Farm in Mahoning Township will be featured on television tonight.Last weekend Botek was interviewed by CBS reporter Chip Reed at the convention of the National Christmas Tree Growers Association in Kalamazoo, Michigan.The farm's tree was judged the grand champion tree.The interview is scheduled to be shown at 6:30 tonight on CBS Evening News.