Wadena rallies with over 1000 nativity scenes after council removes one from park

By Amy Unrau on
Dec 8, 2015 at 11:09 p.m.

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Wadena, Minn. (WDAY-TV) - One month has made a huge difference in Wadena.

The Wadena city council voted to remove a much-loved nativity scene from a city park after one person complained.

The town is now coming together like never before, and taking back Christmas.

In a normally a silent park, all is not calm, and not all is bright this Christmas. New decorations are going in and a manger is missing.

Wadena Mayor, George Deiss, says, “Initially, there was a lot of anger, I think.”

For years, a nativity scene sat in a Wadena park, but recently, the city decided there was "no room" in government for it, and sent Jesus, Mary and Joseph away.

Deiss says, “That night after we made the decision, I didn't sleep real well. The next day when I woke up, I didn't feel very good about the decision.”

Nearly the entire town mourned the loss. That is, until one person remembered that faith can overcome anything.

Dani Sworski of Wadena says, “I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason.”

Sworski challenged the town to bring back Christmas and bring out as many mangers as possible, hoping to break the world record for most nativity scenes. The response has been overwhelming.
Sworski says, “It just kept growing and growing and growing.”

Main Street is filled.

Linnea Gray at Hometown Crafts and Fabrics says, “Put them in their windows and their yards.”

Gray’s workplace is just one of the several businesses that brought theirs out immediately.

“This one's my favorite. I love the silver because it's shiny and sparkly,” says Gray.

They're flying off the shelves, landing at people's homes.

Gray says, “We got in a truck load, and have just a few left now.”

It seems everyone wants one, and they're almost everywhere you look.

“It's been an amazing experience, that's for sure,” says Sworski.

Wadena; a town, never filled with more Christmas spirit.

“We wanted to make sure that we stood together, we came together for our faith, as friends as family, and we all kind of grew from this,” says Sworski.

According to the Wadena Nativity Display Facebook page, the record for most nativity scenes in one spot is 2500. Right now, Wadena has over a thousand. Even if they don't break the record, they say that's okay, because they've never felt more like a community.

http://www.wday.com/news/3899427-wad...moves-one-park