Salem twitchy over witchy statue

SALEM, Mass., May 5 (UPI) -- Officials in Salem, Mass., are grappling with the political correctness of allowing a statue of TV's best-known witch, Samantha Stevens, to be erected.

The city known for its witch trials and 20 executions in 1692 is debating whether the statue besmirches the memory of innocent people killed or whether it would be a beneficial tourist attraction.

The cable network TV Land announced it wanted to erect a 9-foot bronze statue of Stevens, the star of the 1960s "Bewitched" sitcom, played by actress Elizabeth Montgomery. The network has already placed statues of various 1960s characters that make up its programming in other cities.

But the issue is controversial, and the Salem Redevelopment Authority, which last month took a preliminary vote to approve the statue, will meet Tuesday to take a final vote, the Boston Globe said.

"Salem is supposedly trying to change its image," said John Carr, a former member of the city's historical commission. "We're supposed to be promoting ourselves as having gracious dining and cultural attractions, and a statue of a TV witch will be going up in our downtown?"