Ellwood City moving nativity over suit threat - 21 News Now, More Local News for Youngstown, Ohio -

Ellwood City moving nativity over suit threat

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ELLWOOD CITY, Pa. (AP) - An attorney plans to erect a nativity display in front of a former church to dispel a threatened lawsuit by an atheists' group who opposed a display in front of a western Pennsylvania borough building.

Attorney Joseph Bellissimo says he's paying for the new display in Ellwood City. The borough had its own display for about 50 years.

Residents wanted to fight the threatened lawsuit by the Freedom From Religion Foundation of Madison, Wis., but borough officials feared they'd lose. The foundation's co-president, Annie Gaylord, says the group simply didn't want the display on public property.

Bellissimo tells the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review the borough manager approached him about putting up the new display. The lawyer owns and plans to convert the former church building into a restaurant.

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