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Contra Costa TimesIt's a finable offense in some parts of Alameda County to light any sign — including the sign of the cross, say county officials, who have pulled the plug on a familiar religious landmark near the Altamont Pass.
Most motorists traveling east on I-580 can't help but notice the 580-foot-by-300-foot cross with the words "Jesus Saves" visible on a hillside from the north side of the freeway.
Until a couple months ago, the brightness of the carving rivaled that of the Las Vegas Strip most nights of the week. Strands of generator-powered Christmas lights stretching a third of a mile illuminated the symbol, which has been painstakingly maintained for the past eight years by a local Bible study group.
But there will be no lights on the cross this Easter — or for the foreseeable future.
The county has sent several notices to the out-of-state owners of the unincorporated agricultural land, warning them they could be fined $250 or more if they don't lose the lights, said Lacy Starling of the county's code enforcement division. She cited a county code that prohibits illuminated signs in agricultural districts.
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