AUBURN — A Greene couple’s donation of Christmas lawn ornaments has helped resurrect New Auburn’s Sullivan Square display.

Auburn City Councilor Leroy Walker said the New Auburn display on the small patch of land behind Rolly’s Diner received enough donations to quickly get it back up after vandals destroyed the display last week.

Donations included cash — nearly $350, Walker said — and several pieces donated by Earle and Lorraine Gilmore of River Road in Greene.

“They donated Christmas trees, a Santa Claus, a snowman and two huge reindeer, all lighted,” said Walker. “I think we’re pretty close to where we were before this all happened.”

The Christmas display was destroyed by vandals overnight on Dec. 11.

They pulled down Christmas lights from nearby Rolly’s Diner, cut electrical cords to the live pine tree in the middle of the park and crushed, bent and destroyed a wire frame reindeer and a sleigh.

Police arrested two men, Joshua Philbrook, 22, of Minot Avenue in Auburn, and Nicholas Ayer, 23, of 133 Spring St. in Lewiston, charging them with criminal mischief.

Walker said the smaller herd of wire frame reindeer were hit especially hard, with 18 of 21 being destroyed beyond repair.

“We were able to save three of them and get them back up, partially lit,” Walker said. “But (the Gilmores) donated two more, a buck and a doe.”

Lorraine Gilmore, 76, said the ornaments were just sitting in her basement.

“We haven’t put them up for a couple of years,” she said. “There were real pretty, but it gets to be a real chore — a little precarious. And then, when it’s done, there’s snow and ice and everything on it that makes it hard to put everything away.”

Walker said the cash donations will be used to buy new lights and displays for 2013 Christmas display.

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