Posted on 02/20/2004 7:54:15 AM PST by chance33_98
Can you be too patriotic?
Kure Beach resident Jerry Wolf considers the United States flag, and the pole in his front yard he flies it from, two of his most prized posessions.
Two months ago, he built the pole in his own front yard with his own two hands. He lights it every night, and teaches his daughter what it stands for.
But Wolf, an Air Force veteran, must choose between his flag and some of his neighbors, who are ordering him to ground Old Glory for good.
"I don't want to live in a neighborhood where people are so unpatriotic they'd make me take this down." Wolf says.
The problem is, Wolf lives in a private, quiet subdivision at Kure Beach known as Kure Dunes, which is run by a neighborhood association that has strict rules about building on property. The board says that does not include flags, but it does include flagpoles.
On Wednesday they sent Wolf a letter telling him he has 30 days to dig up the pole he proudly built himself, or, according to Wolf, he could be sued.
"I won't defy a judges order, but I'm going to fight to keep this up," Wolf says defiantly.
Neighborhood board members say they want a peaceful community, where additions to homes and yards won't devalue nearby property.
But Wolf isn't the only with a bone to pick with these kinds of rules. State lawmakers are considering a bill that would block any ordinance or rule preventing residents from flying flags.
In Wolf's neighborhood, the board is willing to buy the flag and flagpole, and put it up at the clubhouse, an offer Wolf doesn't think too highly of. "If they want to buy my pole, they'll have to buy my house too. The whole nine yards," a promise from the former vet, a man who carefully folds his flag, but one who will never fold in his fight to fly it.
While the neighborhood associated refuses to comment on this issue, they have invited Wolf to a meeting where he can appeal their decision, though he says he's not holding his breath.
Um, yes. Anyway, the association has already said they don’t object to his flag. For some reason they object to his flag pole. And like it or not, it’s not uncommon to have just those types of restrictions.
But go ahead. You let him have his flagpole in his front yard, you better get prepared for the 120 foot ham tower I erect in my backyard. I’ll even hang a flag from it so everybody’s happy. - which, of course, is just the type of thing they're trying to avoid by having CC&Rs in the first place.
That's the answer, right there. If you've just got to have a big McMansion in Yuppieville, you'd best be prepared to abide by Yuppieville's rules.
The Weasly slimeballs are using that lame excuse in hopes of avoiding an unpatriotic label being pinned on them - but they're too late. Lowlife invertigrates, Mr Wolf should give them the option of either he paint Old Glory that covers the entire front of his house or he keeps the flagpole. Some groups with a little bit of authority get just a little too big for their britches....
I believe we have pics of the flag in question posted on.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/KureDunesResidents/
This is an unsanctioned group started primarily to voice our opinions concerning the abuse by this HOA in question and keep this board in check.
The HOA is now starting their own web site kuredunes.com
Kure Beach North Carolina
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.