Borough display includes Nativity, secular figures

New holiday decorations brighten South Main Street

By:Mary Ellen Zangara
   The borough’s public holiday display on South Main Street is growing, with a new Nativity scene and some familiar cartoon characters.
   The Nativity scene featuring the Holy Family and animals was built by members of Manville’s Knights of Columbus, St. Jude Council 6573. A dedication ceremony for the wooden set — constructed and assembled by the Knights — will be held at 6:30 p.m. Friday.
   But the Nativity won’t be complete until baby Jesus is placed in the manger following Saturday’s 4 p.m. Christmas Eve Mass at local Catholic churches.
   Ed Komoroski, a borough resident and member of the Knights Council, is coordinating the event and is hoping that many residents will attend.
   "This display will hopefully give all of us years of joy and happiness," he said.
   Mr. Komoroski said he’s been working on getting a Nativity set since a previous display was removed because of concerns it would violate church-state separation laws.
   But a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court in the summer opened the door for religious displays — if they are part of a group of displays.
   "Why should the Catholic community be excluded to … our right to profess our faith?" he asked.
   The Nativity is on a 6-by-10-foot area, part of borough-owned property that also has other displays.
   Mr. Komoroski points out that the display was paid for by the Knights and "didn’t cost the cost the town a penny." The hardware was donated by Town Center Hardware and Jim Markey donated plywood used for the manger.
   "Myself and a couple of others, my wife, Bonnie, and my kids erected it this past Saturday and it is being donated to the town," Mr. Komoroski said.
   Mr. Komoroski said the Knights of Columbus are proud to support the "true meaning of Christmas" and hope many residents come out to enjoy and support the display.
   The dedication ceremony will include Mayor Angelo Corradino and some members of the Borough Council, schools officials, senior citizens, churches, volunteer firemen, police and rescue squad representatives, and members of the American Legion and local Veterans of Foreign Wars post.
   The Nativity has been joined by some other familiar, though less religious, displays.
   Wooden cutout figures of characters from Disney movies and cartoons that were part of the Christmas displays set up by Boesel Avenue resident Paul Matus, now deceased, also are on display on South Main Street.
   Mr. Matus died in 1997, and his figures were inherited by his niece Sharon Fischer.
   Ms. Fischer and her husband, Lou Fischer, have donated the secular figures on display with the Nativity scene on South Main Street.
   The figures — all handcrafted by Mr. Matus over a 20-year period — were popular attractions in Lost Valley, where Mr. Matus would decorate his property for Christmas.
   His displays were featured in local newspapers and won house-decorating contests.
   "They won at least two or three times," Ms. Fischer said.
   The display includes characters from the Peanuts comics, Disney’s "Little Mermaid" and "Aladdin" movies, and even the Power Rangers.
   Ms. Fischer said Mr. Matus and his wife, Eleanor, didn’t have any children of their own, and so "made Christmas special for everyone" with the figures.
   Mr. Matus would get his ideas for the characters from coloring books and enlarge them to the size he wanted. They were then hand-drawn on wood, cut out and painted with a lot of detail.
   "Most years he would start in February or March to make sure he had the latest ‘craze’ in the yard for the next season," Mr. Fischer said. "He would ask my daughters, then 2 to 7 years of age, what new display he could add, and … it would be there the next Christmas."
   Mr. Matus would start putting up his display around the first of November each year, completing it by Thanksgiving.
   After he died in 1997, the family put up the displays in 1997 and 1998, but Hurricane Floyd damaged Ms. Matus’ house and the figures.
   While Mr. and Ms. Fischer were trying to figure out how to restore the figures, Mr. Komoroski contacted them, offering to take the cutouts this year and display them.
   "His offer and generosity couldn’t have come at a better time for our family," Mr. Fischer said.
   The wooden characters were moved to their new home on Main Street where the gazebo used to be. "We wanted to give the area some character, with plenty of characters," he joked. "It’s always been so plain; it’s always just been Santa’s house.
   "My feelings are that it added some seasonal spirit to the area. It covers all the basics from kids to cartoon characters to marching soldiers and carolers. It hits all age groups and brings back some childhood memories for people walking by or maybe for the people sitting in traffic; maybe it will bring them a happy thought," he said.
   Mr. Komoroski said the characters need some repair with paints and he is looking to see if anyone is interested in helping restore them by refreshing the paint and possibly making some new characters to add to next year’s display.
   Anyone is interested in helping with the restorations can call Mr. Komoroski at 725-1995.
   Meanwhile, Snow White, the Seven Dwarfs and the other figures are helping to brighten the day for many in town.
   "In the last week since the figurines have been displayed we’ve had at least a dozen people thank us for displaying them once again," Mr. Fischer said.
   Mr. Fischer added that while many residents have thanked him and his wife for the display, he thanks Mr. Komoroski for "allowing this tradition to continue."