The mayor of Wadena says the city council’s decision to remove a nativity scene from a city park was tough. George Deiss says the threat of a lawsuit from a group claiming the display violated the separation of church and state left the city no choice. He says “it was with a heavy heart that we all went this way. I know this community. This is a Christian community, this is a faith-based community. There is a lot of love here. And part of it is from the faith.” The mayor says the council agreed to donate the nativity scene to the local Ministerial Association. He says “hopefully the decision has kept Christ in Christmas in Wadena.”