The mayor of West New York, a city of about 49,000 people across the Hudson River from Midtown Manhattan, said he had received calls from around the world from people wanting to come and see the "miracle" for themselves. Mayor Felix Roque said the attention had led to a shrine so large that he wants to make it permanent, in hopes of drawing visitors to an avenue whose fast-food shops, nail salons and cellphone stores don't scream "vacation spot." Dozens of people have been stopping at the tree, snapping pictures of the section of bark with a scar that they say perfectly mirrors the shape of images of the Virgin Mary. Police have set up metal barricades to protect the tree and the crowd, which has left a rising mound of flowers, candles, flags and religious icons. Locals say the image appeared this week after a man was killed in a car crash in the area. Eva Copantitla, who lives in West New York, was the first to notice the image and alerted the mayor, the Jersey Journal reported.