Background from the last time I wrote about this, including the picture from Facebook from Rita asking people to build a nativity for the courthouse lawn.

Because, legally, when a government entity decides to put up an expressly religious symbol in a government spot, they must open up that *limited forum* for other viewpoints. In this case, that means that they must allow others to put up displays, signs, etc so as to remain viewpoint neutral. Everyone knows or at least should, that the Constitution of the US speaks against establishment of religion and only having one view, which is in this case partisan christianity, is not lawful. Doing otherwise makes the event (and the City of Glen Rose) look divisive, bigoted, hateful and non-inclusive.
Since the publicity for Christmas Town of Glen Rose has already been going out in a number of places, including billboards, ads and other postings on Facebook, as well as letters and flyers, I wanted to reach out and find out how I could put up a sign for the holidays to be included in the Christmas Town event. I started by asking Rita, the CVB person about it, she told me this was not her responsibility and to contact the mayor, Joe Boles. Here is the exchange of that from email. Note a few things as you read. Clearly, even though it is Rita that has put out adverts saying that the nativity would be on the courthouse lawn, Joe Boles, the mayor, says the City has no responsibility for what can be on that space. Does that mean that Rita and the City are at cross purposes or the City has no idea what Rita is doing? Because there is clearly some confusion about who has responsibility to say what can be on a public, government open space for which, ostensibly, SOMEBODY has to get a permit to use for an event, I started to write back and ask Danny Chambers in an email about this. But then decided to go down to ask in person so that I could make sure to ask all the questions on my mind. Side note that that led to an angry outburst from Chambers about topics not relevant to what I was there to address, which was, again, to find out who has responsibility to say what can or can’t be put on the courthouse lawn. My point is that both govt entities were pointing to the other one, and it started to feel to me, that I was being jerked around, as well as not being treated equitably. I mean, the City decided, without getting a permit or asking the county if it was okay to put a nativity on the courthouse lawn, among other things, but then the mayor said that the county is the one that controls what can be displayed. So, which is it?
Chambers told me outside his office that he wanted me to send him a picture of the sign/exhibit I proposed to put on the courthouse lawn and I was clear I wanted this as part of the Christmas Town event. That told me that he believes the county is in charge of okaying what goes on the lawn, so did the county vet the nativity or the other exhibits? I’m betting not, seems to me that the City, being the ones that are doing the Christmas Town event, were making their own decisions, spending money, doing PR and adverts without, with the exception of asking the County to pay half the cost of lighting on the courthouse lawn for the trees, planning for this event without both getting an okay from Chambers OR getting a permit. Again, I do not believe I am being treated fairly and equitably by Chambers, who is requiring a picture but did he make sure he vetted all the City of Glen Rose exhibits? I can’t see how, because the City of Glen Rose didn’t bother to get a permit to USE the courthouse lawn
Here is that email sent 11/19/2024 to Chambers per his request (screen grab of this email below)
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Hi, Danny
As discussed in the emails from Joe Boiles, Mayor of the City of Glen Rosse, [sic] that you and all of the City Council people were included on, and briefly in person, I am asking for, in writing, clarification on the following from you, as representing Somervell County. At issue is that I wish to put a display up for the event Christmas Town, which would be a sandwich-board style sign reading “Winter Solstice- The Reason for the Season”,3 ft wide x 5 feet tall. I am attaching a representative of the sign, which would have no stakes, would have this message but might vary a bit in snowflake decoration, etc
- Joe Boles has said that he has no control of what may be displayed on the county courthouse grounds, that he cannot approve a display and that the County controls the approval process. Assuming that is true, then did you approve all of the items that they wish to put on the courthouse lawn, including, for this purpose, the nativity? I assume that since you are asking me to supply a pic, the decision *is* yours, rather than the City, and you have done your diligence in requiring all exhibits and activities that use any part of the Somervell County lawn, including the City of Glen Rose’s, to be approved by the County first, Please forward me any emails or documents in which you have told the City this or let me know if I need to do an open records request for this.
- I wish to be part of that event. If you are the entity deciding who can be part of a given event, please write that here. I had assumed that since presumably, the City of Glen Rose got a permit from the County to do that event, that they were then in charge of it, including inviting people or purchasing certain things, etc, or, as in this case, soliciting someone to build a nativity. If actually the County is in charge of deciding who can be part of an event, I think that needs to be spelled out clearly, as Mr. Boles is saying that he cannot offer an approval for anyone to participate in the event. Note that he has, according to video of the City of Glen Rose at the regular meeting in October, indicated that the Promise was approached to be part of the event, and also sent out letters to churches in the area looking for (apparently) volunteers to do caroling. Did the City of Glen Rose run these past you to get permission for who would be included? (Since you are asking me, equity would demand that you also do the same for them, as the controller for events) Adding to that, although it is not clear to me where the Giant Sleigh and Snowglobe will go, if they would be on the county lawn, presumably they would have had to get the county’s permission for that.
- Does the County also approve the language on any flyers sent out about events? The flyer for Christmas Town https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=122196660284197807&id=183447224861186&_rdr reads “**Nativity Scene:** Admire the beautiful display on the courthouse lawn reminding us all of the True Meaning of Christmas” which looks explicitly christian, although there are many people who are not christian, are some other religion, or none at all, that might still celebrate a secular Christmas (witness people who have a Santa, Sleigh or a Christmas tree) . If so, please indicate that the County approves of this flyer language for inclusion of the nativity. If not, please indicate that the City of Glen Rose and not the County has responsibility for their text in this flyer.
- I said presumably the City of Glen Rose got a permit, but they actually did not. I did an open records request on 11.14.2924 to Kelly Harris, who wrote me on Nov 15, 2024 that “There have not been any permits taken out for any of the things upcoming on the Court House grounds at this time” and further said the City of Glen Rose had not paid a fee either. I do not believe I should have to get a permit to be part of the Christmas Town event, and especially since even the City didn’t bother with one, but what I propose to do is not part of a separate event so should not require a separate permit.
- I have been told by Wade Busch that the County has never, to his knowledge, had an instance in which the courthouse lawn was shared by two events. Please confirm that this is so, and that, if this is actually required for me to get a permit for my sign as a separate activity, I could place the sign where I want, in the same way that the nativity would be placed in a presumably conspicuous place. If you would be requiring a permit from me, because two events can be held at the same time on the courthouse lawn, please forward me a copy of the signed permit for the City as well as receipt for the payment. If I need to get that from an open records request, please let me know.
- Please note that the courts have ruled, including most recently in FFRF vs Abbott (Greg Abbott) Abbott lost and had to pay extensive court fees https://ffrf.org/images/1AbbotDecision_October13.pdf ) that if a religious display is allowed on govt property, the govt must also allow other viewpoints as well. In other words, nothing wrong with putting a nativity on government property as long as there is no viewpoint discrimination and other viewpoints are also allowed.
I look forward to you writing me back, hopefully promptly, so that there can be no confusion about these issues
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So, here is the email trail. I used the form on the City of Glen Rose site to specifically send an email to Joe Boles. He replied and cc’d all the City of Glen Rose council people. He said he had “no control of what may be displayed on the county courthouse grounds”. Yes? Then why did Rita advertise it on behalf of the City as being there? That was her decision and under her control only since nobody asked the County?


I wrote him back and, since he had included all the city council people and also was referencing the county, I included cc of Danny Chambers. I also then contacted Wade Busch to ask about use of county (public) property and write Boles again.

A bit of back and forth which made clear to me that *somebody* needed to take responsibility, both for my request and for the nativity and other exhibits and events using the courthouse lawn.


At this point is when I decided to contact Chambers about the procedure and wrote Boles again, with cc to all the Town Council people. Note that I told Joe Boles that I expected to see this decision in writing from Chambers. and then I went personally up to his office in the annex to talk to him about it, with that expectation

And this is the screenshot of the email I sent to Chambers yesterday, after meeting with him in person, with a screen grab of my proposed exhibit for inclusion in Christmas Town.
