Have A Hostile Holiday, Says Neighbor Through Frightful Displays And Signs
“Merry Christmas!” and “Happy Holidays!” are often decorative signs found on lawns throughout towns across America, but one man wants to wish everyone a hostile holiday or to make a bad day even worse, it seems.
Those who live on Fairley Road in Ross Township, Pennsylvania, say one neighbor is out to terrorize everyone else nearby with disgusting displays of hostile scenes, even during the holidays.
According to ABC News, Bill Ansell, an electrician, has rigged up some very strange and offensive materials to decorate his property. His property is right in the middle of a cul-de-sac, and he has chosen to display a urinating Santa, a decapitated choir, and a hanging Mickey Mouse.
The hostile displays have been going on for six years, and neighbors have not been able to ignore them.
“There was a Virgin Mary here, and he placed a knife through her head, right there on the edge of our driveway,” neighbor Joanne Hebda told ABC News’ 20/20. “I thought it was a terroristic threat.”
Ansell doesn’t only post hostile signs during the holidays. He allegedly posts them during personal battles, too. He has been accused of displaying signs on his home which attack the township and his neighbors. When Ansell’s neighbor, Tom White, lost his wife, Ansell posted a disparaging remark the day after she passed away.
“Why would somebody even do that?” White questioned.
A sign on Ansell’s home may explain why he is so angry.
“This display is dedicated to Ross Township. Shame on you for destroying my display that brought so much joy and happiness to so many people.”
It seems at one time, Ansell put on a spectacular display of lights that were so bright, a neighbor asked him to turn them off when she and her family had dinner. After that, Pamela Heck explained, things got “unpleasant.”
ABC News explained Ansell would suddenly blast floodlights into their homes late at night. Another neighbor, Jay Londino, explained how Ansell would keep himself awake making noises just to keep the neighbors awake.
“It’ll be 3 o’clock in the morning, and all of the sudden you’ll hear bang, bang, bang. And he’s underneath a tarp with a sledgehammer, hammering in the middle of the night to wake up the entire neighborhood.”
The residents feel trapped because no one wants to buy their homes and family and friends stay away. Although they have called the police and talked to the township Board of Commissioners, little action has been taken.
“The Township has taken and will continue to take appropriate legal action,” said Grant Montgomery, president of the Ross Board of Commissioners, in a statement to ABC News.
The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania upheld a court order requiring Bill Ansell to take down the vulgar signs and clean his yard, but so far Ansell has ignored the order. It is unclear how the order will be enforced.
Ansell refuses to give any interviews now, but in an interview two years ago he explained the purpose behind his hostile holiday and other personal taunts.
“I used to have a beautiful Christmas display, they hated it. This is my display now. I don’t think it’s against the law to exercise your right to have your own display.”
Resident Pamela Heck believes the matter is simple. “He’s an angry person that’s very unstable.”
“Keeping poking the bear and the bear’s going to come back and he’s gonna bite you,” Bill Ansell said, according to KDKA.
This is certainly another hostile holiday which residents on Fairley Road will not wish to remember, but one which they clearly won’t forget.
[Image via ABC News]
