Large, Flashing, Profane Sign In Ross Twp. Goes Dark
ROSS TOWNSHIP (KDKA) -- People in a local neighborhood are cautiously pleased with what could be the end of a large, profane flashing sign a guy put up on the side of his house.
The sign, neighbors say, flashed on and off on the side of Bill Ansell's home in Ross Township and read: [Expletive] Ross Township.
"It was huge. It was probably four-feet high," said Josh Keebler, who is new to the neighborhood and didn't know what to think when the sign recently went up.
"I jokingly referred to it as the Hollywood sign of Ross Township," said Keebler. "I mean, you could see it probably for a quarter of mile when you come off the hill there."
It was easy to see if you were driving to the Eden Christian Academy just up the road.
But Thursday night, the sign remained dark.
The story really begins more than a decade ago, when Ansell had an impressive Christmas display in his yard, but neighbors complained over increased traffic.
And here's what Ansell told KDKA-TV back in 2005: "I'm not real happy it had to go this far, but you can't make everybody happy I guess."
By 2010, he had a wildly different display with a urinating Santa, a snowman being run over, and the Virgin Mary knocked to the ground.
Many of those items remain in his yard now along with signs criticizing the township and neighbors.
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KDKA-TV was unable to reach him to ask if the latest sign being turned off is a permanent move, but neighbors hope so.
Parents say it could be seen from the busy road below.
"We've had people drive by in front of our house yelling profanities up across," said Keebler. "I've actually had to call the police about that, too."
Jeremy Shaffer, President of the Ross Township Board of Commissioners said: "The township is actively working to move the situation forward in a positive direction. We appreciate the willingness of the Ansells to engage us and look forward to more discussion in the future."
