GDG- News artcile

[Walter Wells]

Thought folks might be interested in this:


Town nixes Santa hats on Civil War memorial
The Associated Press

BLOOMSBURG , PA-- The town removed Santa Claus hats from statues of
soldiers at a Civil War memorial after some veterans complained.

"I wanted to just give it something that gave it a holiday spirit," said
Gary Vadakin, explaining that the hats were left over when he finished
decorating the town fountain Saturday and he thought they would add color
to the gray monument. "But maybe it was a little disrespectful. It is a
monument to heroes that have fallen."

Vadakin got word Wednesday that the Public Works Department was being
directed to remove the hats. "It's a monument," said Councilman Paul
Kinney, a Vietnam veteran. "You don't decorate it. Maybe on Memorial Day or
Veterans Day you put a wreath at it in remembrance."

Town Administrator Carol Mas said the town received a couple of calls from
other veterans who "did not feel it was respectful."

One World War II veteran, Dick Donald, of Wonderview, organizer of a
program in which veterans talk to schoolchildren, said he first thought the
hats were a college prank and "got a kick out of it." On reflection, he
said, "It's probably better without them."