from WBAY-TV, Green Bay


headline: "Green Bay Votes to Keep Nativity, Ban Other Displays for
Now"
Updated: By Adam Aaro and Kristin Byrne



Late Tuesday night, the Green Bay City Council decided to leave up a
Christian Nativity display above the entrance to City Hall.

According to the motion, no other religious displays can be put up
before Christmas, including a Wiccan wreath that was put up last
Friday but vandalized Monday morning.

The Nativity display with Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus figures will
come down the day after Christmas, then there is a moratorium on
religious displays at city hall until guidelines are in place.

The motion was voted on just before 11 o'clock, after hours of public
comment and council debate.

The council split 6-6 on the issue. Mayor Jim Schmitt cast the
deciding vote in favor of the motion to keep the Nativity but impose a
moratorium.

The controversy started last week when council president Chad Fradette
asked to place the Nativity display on the entrance overhang, saying
he was supporting the rights of religious expression. He had the
Advisory Committee's approval, and encouraged other religious groups
to put up their symbols. Only the Wiccan symbol was ever put up in
addition to the Nativity before the mayor prohibited displays without
guidelines, saying he felt people were making a mockery of the issue.

The split vote on the matter continues the controversy.

"I've had a hundred percent calls that people have called me and they
were deadset against having it up there and they wanted it down,"
alderman Jerry Wiezbiskie said of the Nativity.

"I'm not saying we're not going to be sued," the mayor said, "because
people sue people, and they sue the city or a lot of different
reasons, but we feel like we have a strong defense on this and we're
going to leave this up until the 26th and come back to the drawing
board."

Fradette declined comment following the meeting.


--
"God has no religion."
- Gandhi