PITMAN – Many members of the Pitman community are trying to forget last year's holiday debacle.

This time last year, when the perennial “Keep Christ in Christmas” banner appeared over downtown Pitman, The Freedom From Religion Foundation asked to have the banner immediately removed.

The Wisconsin-based group, aimed at protecting the separation of church and state, said the banner did nothing but endorse the Christian faith.

That group also took issue with the fact that the Knights of Columbus didn’t have a permit to have the banner hung.

Mark Pawlowski, grand knight of the local Knights of Columbus council, said the organization did not file a permit with the borough to hang the banner because it will be up for less than 90 days.

Pitman’s ordinance does not require a permit for banners hung less than 90 days. The Christmas banner typically comes down the second week of January.

But last year, a constitutional consultant for the Freedom From Religion Foundation disagreed with the borough’s stance on permits.

“In our mind, this was either a violation of the establishment clause of the Constitution, or a sign that needed a permit – and without a permit, they were showing favoritism to an organization,” said Andrew Seidel.

But this year, the banner went up without a hitch, Pawlowski said.

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“I haven’t heard much. A couple of people told me they were glad it went up again this year,” he said.

The banner is a staple in the borough, with more than 30 holiday season appearances and counting.

The banner is strung across South Broadway, in its customary spot, between a utility pole and a private building, said Mayor Russ Johnson.

The Christmas banner is one of a few that gets to share its message above the borough’s main drag. Other banners in the yearly rotation include a chicken barbecue banner, a carnival banner, and various other banners, Johnson said.

Volunteer firefighters, as they do each year, hung the Christmas banner over Broadway on Saturday morning, just before the borough’s parade that evening.

Volunteer firefighters also hang the other banners in town, Johnson added.

Johnson said there have been no signs of negative feelings about the banner yet in the borough.

“I’ve heard nothing but positive reaction,” Johnson said. “It was never an issue until last year.”

Pawlowski said he hopes the positive feedback about the banner’s arrival lingers throughout the season.

“I’ve heard positive feedback about the banner. We didn’t let that other organization get the best of us,” he said.

Contact Melissa DiPento at 856-845-3300 ext. 231 or mdipento@southjerseymedia.com