UPDATE: Holiday Decorations Removed from Parts of Downtown

Garland on gazebo, Main Street Bridge put up for Festival of Lights only

That was fast. Some of the new holiday decorations put up in downtown Kent this year have already been taken down. Garland that hung from the Downtown Gazebo and the railings of the Main Street Bridge during Saturday's Festival of Lights was removed by Sunday afternoon. Kent Mayor Jerry Fiala said the decorations were removed over fears that vandals might rip down the easily accessible garland or, worse, throw it from the bridge into the icy Cuyahoga River. "The main idea was decorating the bridge and the gazebo ... to welcome Santa Claus and all the kids downtown Saturday night for lighting up the town," Fiala said. Lori Wemhoff, director of the Kent Area Chamber of Commerce, which sponsored the lights festival, said the decorations that …

•  26 Comments
• Photos (3)