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Weirton Chamber, city hoping to keep holidays bright

WEIRTON – Weirton Council may be stepping up to assist the Weirton Area Chamber of Commerce in lighting up the community for the holidays.

During its meeting Wednesday, the city’s Finance Committee recommended a resolution to make a $7,500 contribution to the chamber to assist with the maintenance of city-wide Christmas light displays.

“For the past several years, I’ve heard from the chamber how difficult it is to maintain the lights,” Ward 3 Councilman Fred Marsh, who is sponsoring the resolution, explained.

Marsh noted the Christmas light displays in Weirton, for many years, had been maintained and displayed through the efforts of Weirton Steel Corp. In the 1980s, the project was handed off to the chamber of commerce, but Marsh said the costs are increasing and assistance has been in decline.

“There is a question as to whether this can continue,” he said.

The resolution, which will go before Weirton Council during its meeting Tuesday, calls for a financial contribution of $7,500 to assist with the purchase of new LED bulbs for use in the displays during the coming Christmas holiday season.

Next year, Marsh said he plans to propose city council consider including a line item in its budget in order to continuously support the project.

Brenda Mull, president of the Weirton Area Chamber of Commerce, expressed her appreciation for the city’s consideration in support of the lights, explaining she had contacted other chambers of commerce in the Ohio Valley and found the city or town governments in those areas take care of their community light displays.

“We’re the only chamber of commerce responsible for lights,” she said.

The Weirton Chamber’s light displays include the “Weirton” display located on Three Springs Drive, along with snowflakes and angels placed along Main Street, with close to 8,000 bulbs of varying colors needing maintained each year.

“We’re happy to be able to supply it,” Mull said. “It’s just a huge financial responsibility.”

Joe Stankiewicz, a chamber volunteer who has helped to spearhead the lighting maintenance for several years, explained manpower to assist with upkeep also is a growing issue. The Weirton Steel 25-Year Club has stepped up in the past, he explained, but many of those individuals are no longer available.

While the chamber has maintained and stored the lights, the city has provided in-kind support by putting up and taking down the displays each year.

Ward 6 Councilman Enzo Fracasso noted his support for the resolution.

“It’s real nice. People appreciate it,” Fracasso said of the lights. “We need to step up and do our part.”

Marsh explained, if the resolution is approved by council, the chamber will be asked to submit its invoices to the city’s Finance Department for payment.

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