The Daily Citizen, Dalton, GA

Daily Updates

Discussion

Welcome to our online comments feature. To join the discussion, you must first register with Disqus and verify your email address. Once you do, your comments will post automatically. We welcome your thoughts and your opinions, including unpopular ones. We ask only that you keep the conversation civil and clean. We reserve the right to remove comments that are obscene, racist or abusive and statements that are false or unverifiable. Repeat offenders will be blocked. You may flag objectionable comments for review by a moderator.
comments powered by Disqus
December 4, 2009

Protest moves town to rehang Merry Christmas sign

Crystal Bozek, CNHI News Service

NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. - Local officials learned the hard way this week: Don't mess with Christmas.

Five days after firefighters were ordered to remove their "Merry Christmas" greeting from across the front of the fire station because it carried a religious conotation, it was back up.

"It's time we put an end to this political correctness," said John Cronin, who organized a townwide protest over the sign's removal. "The country's going to die from it."

The traditional greeting had hung above the main fire station doors for years during the Christmas season, but town officials ordered it removed last week in the wake of a dispute over restricting the placement of a menorah on the town common to one of the eight days of Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights holiday.

The decision triggered an angry response from around the country. Petitions criticizing town officials circulated as far as Florida and California.

Tracy Watson, head of the town's board of selectmen, said officials simply acted on advice from the town lawyer to avoid legal complications in light of the menorah restriction.

"I personally have been torn apart by this," she said. "The community has been torn apart by this."

The 2-foot by 4-foot wooden Merry Christmas sign was homemade by firefighters more than 50 years ago and had become a holiday icon for anyone who grew up in town.

Selectman Richard Nardella said people seemed to get more worked up over the Christmas greeting removal than the menorah restriction, which the town is now expected to lift.

"I personally think people overreacted," he said. "But the town's people have spoken loud and clear."

Resident Jeanne Conte said she wasn't surprised town officials acted the way they did. "This country has become so liberal, it makes me sick inside," she said.

Fire Chief william Martineau had a more festive reaction to the final outcome.

"It put a little joy back in the holidays," he said.

---

Crystal Bozek is a reporter for the Eagle-Tribune of North Andover, Mass. Contact her at cbozek@eagletribune.com.

Text Only