Ellwood City moving nativity over suit threat

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 the Ellwood City borough building.

Attorney Joseph Bellissimo says he's paying for the new display in the Lawrence County town. 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 says 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.

The Ellwood City borough featured the nativity display in 2011 as part of a 50 year tradition.  Image source: WCN staff.