NORWICH - County lawmakers granted the Pumpkin Festival use of West Side Park this year despite an issue with sidewalk cracks that could have been caused by a large machine organizers used last year to erect display scaffolding.

Following an investigation of the site last fall, Clerk of the Board R.C. Woodford said the county’s attorney requested that the festival’s organizers fix the cracks. “They said they didn’t do it,” he said. “We don’t know who broke it (the sidewalk).”

“We feel it was the machine they used. But, how big of a deal do we want to make,” Agriculture, Buildings and Grounds Committee Chairman Robert D. Briggs said at a meeting Tuesday.