The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

State News

November 26, 2009

City officials play Scrooge with huge inflatable Santa

By the Associated Press

When he’s at the North Pole, Santa Claus can do whatever he wants. In Wheeling, though, he better stay off the sidewalk.

City officials have ordered Rusty Fatula, owner of Wheeling Tent and Awning, to remove a three-story inflatable Santa in front of his business.

Fatula put the enormous Kris Kringle up last week for the city’s Christmas parade. He initially planned to remove it, but reaction from the public was so positive he kept it up. Fatula says children especially liked to have their picture taken in front of it.

City officials, though, say it was blocking pedestrian traffic on the sidewalk. Fatula says he’s not sure what he’s going to do with the deflated Santa.

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