Oakville Fire Department erects new reader board with religious Christmas message

Sign created controversy last year, to be placed on private property to avoid church, state conflict

By Dan Hammock • December 29, 2016 8:30 am
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Larry Curfman and his son Jonathan stand in front of Oakville Fire Department’s new Christmas sign. Last year a similar sign created controversy; this year the sign was placed on private property and was paid for with donations to the nonprofit Oakville Firefighters for Families organization. Jonathen and his brother Jason Curfman of Curfman Custom Fabrication and Repair donated the labor required to build the framework and install the sign.
Larry Curfman and his son Jonathan stand in front of Oakville Fire Department’s new Christmas sign. Last year a similar sign created controversy; this year the sign was placed on private property and was paid for with donations to the nonprofit Oakville Firefighters for Families organization. Jonathen and his brother Jason Curfman of Curfman Custom Fabrication and Repair donated the labor required to build the framework and install the sign.

Last Christmas, the Oakville Fire Department put up a sign with a simple holiday message: “For unto us a Savior is born — Merry Christmas.”

The sign ignited controversy when a single complaint led to its removal, which created an uproar in the community calling for its re-installation. The sign itself was owned by a private entity. However, it stood on fire district property, which created a church-state conflict.

District No. 1 commissioner Larry Curfman announced Wednesday, Dec. 21 that a new sign — with the same message — will again get installed in Oakville. This time, however, it will be on private land, owned by the Oakville Assembly of God church on Highway 12.

“The Oakville Firefighters for Families, a nonprofit group within the department, has purchased a sign with donations given specifically for the installation of a second sign,” said Curfman.

The two-sided sign was slated for installation Wednesday at 2 p.m. and will be illuminated at a later date, “once we have power run to it,” said Curfman.

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