A menorah and a Christmas tree in the courtyard of the Westmoreland County Courthouse in Greensburg, Dec. 13. The return of a holiday display — a Christmas tree and a framed depiction of a menorah — in the public square outside the Westmoreland County Courthouse is a small thing when compared to the big events of the day, but if it helps spread the holiday spirit, it may be just what we need. A ban on unattended displays outside the courthouse was enacted by the county commissioners in 1997 to keep the Ku Klux Klan from placing a cross there, and that law is still on the books. At the time of the ban, the county made the right decision to prohibit all displays at the courthouse — rather than let the Klan have its way. But this year, Commissioner Sean Kertes wanted to bring back a holiday display. As he told the Tribune-Review, “I had the idea that with a new courtyard, it would be nice to have seasonal items, like a Christmas tree. We wanted to mimic what Allegheny County does.” In Allegheny County, a Christmas tree and a menorah are installed annually at the entrance of […]

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