Pa. city councilman demands that Bush photo removed from market stand

LANCASTER, Pa. (AP) _ A Democratic city councilman is demanding that a baker remove photos of President Bush from his stand in Lancaster's farmers market, saying the city needs a ``healing period''

Saturday, December 11th 2004, 3:15 pm

By: News On 6

LANCASTER, Pa. (AP) _ A Democratic city councilman is demanding that a baker remove photos of President Bush from his stand in Lancaster's farmers market, saying the city needs a ``healing period'' following the bitterly contested election.

City Councilman Nelson Polite asked baker David Stoltzfus last month to remove the pictures. When Stoltzfus refused, Polite threatened to try to enact a city ordinance that would ban all political material from public places.

``I just feel that since it was a close election and the city's so divided, that we should have a healing period,'' Polite told the New Era of Lancaster on Friday.

Republican Mayor Charlie Smithgall said potential visitors have told him they will skip the old city in the heart of Amish country because of Polite's statements.

``They're saying, `What kind of crazy people live in Lancaster? We're never coming to Lancaster,''' Smithgall said Friday.

Stoltzfus, 54, of Lititz, and his wife opened the Upper Crust Bakery stand in March 2003. A Bush photo is attached to the stand portico and a photo of the president and first lady Laura Bush sits on a shelf.

The baker said he is enjoying the attention, and other standholders have shown their support by putting up photos of the president.

``It's fun,'' Stoltzfus said Friday. ``Even the Democrats come to me and tell me, 'Don't take that picture down.'''