Print some and hang in your car window.
For a bigger high resolution download here: big flag pic
Posted on 11/13/2001 5:28:44 PM PST by Dakotabound
Destin, FL, Nov. 13 - The Sandollar Diner on highway 98 in South Walton, is getting some attention. Not for it's classic cooking, but it's sign.
The marquee is okay, but it's the one hiding almost behind the bushes getting noticed. The banner has the words "Thanks for Traveling" and an American flag on it. The diner was recently cited by county code enforcement for violating the scenic corridor guidelines, which bans all banners along 98.
The owner, Greg Oswalt was stunned to learn this news. Oswalt says the sign was put up to keep encouraging people to move on with their lives, following the terrorist attacks. Although he knew it violated county code, he figured the patriotism behind it wouldn't be a problem. "There's four bases within fifty miles of the diner and there are so many families right now that are broken up with husbands and wives that are in Afghanistan from this area, so you would think they would have a little more patience right now with what's going on."—Greg Oswalt, Sandollar Diner Co-Owner.
Walton County's Code Enforcement Officers stand by their decision and say they're not trying to be un-patriotic, they're just doing what they're supposed to. "The officer has served in the military. Myself, I served in the military during the Vietnam era-conflict and you know we are not non-patriotic. We are just doing are jobs, the way it's supposed to be done."—Dan Trotman, Code Enforcement Officer.
While the diner has seven days to bring down the banner, the owner says he has no intentions of doing that. He says he'll keep it up as long as it takes for the county to come to its patriotic senses. If the Sandollar Diner receives another citation, it'll get a twenty-five dollar fine. After that the fine could go up to five hundred dollars for each day the banner stays up.
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I'm trying to find contact information...don't want to flood the small county courthouse...they don't have email listed yet.
Patriotic gesture backfires
By George Alexander, staff writer
Patriotic to one business owner is not patriotic to Walton County.
The Sandollar Diner on U.S. 98 was cited by county code enforcement officer J.M. Newborn on Monday for displaying a banner with the words “Thanks For Traveling” and an America flag on it. Banners are prohibited along the “scenic corridor” of U.S. 98 under the county’s land development code.
Greg Oswalt, the diner’s agent, said the banner was patriotic and should be allowed because of America’s current circumstances. The idea behind the banner was to promote business and tourism and support President Bush’s request for Americans to keep spending their money, Oswalt said.
He said he knew it was against the code but thought there might be leniency from the county because of the banner’s patriotic nature.
He also admitted getting “irate” when he called the code enforcement office to ask about the citation.
“With all the service people in this area going overseas, I asked (Newborn) if he was from Afghanistan,” Oswalt said.
Senior code enforcement officer Dan Trotman said Newborn was only doing his job.
Trotman said any business owner who wished to put up a patriotic sign could obtain a permit after a “five minute” permitting process and paying a $10 fee.
“If people work with us, we’ll work with them,” Trotman said.
Though Oswalt received the citation, he doesn’t even own the banner — it was given to the restaurant by the Sleep Inn in South Walton as part of a larger tourism marketing campaign by Choice Hotels International.
The manager of the Sleep Inn, who asked not to be identified, said the banners were given out to try and help everybody, not to get anyone in trouble. She sympathized with the diner.
“There should have been leniency,” she said.
Looks like he should be able to pay a $10 permit and hang the banner. But from the MSNBC story, it doesn't read that way. Let's find out.
Walton County Code Enforcement: 850-892-8157
15015 Emeraldcoast Pkwy, Destin, FL
(850) 837-9650
Heh. The road to hell is paved with
good intentions.
Print some and hang in your car window.
For a bigger high resolution download here: big flag pic
Not wanting to upset anyone, but this Clintonian circumlocution is meant to imply that the speaker served in Vietnam, but in fact didn't.
Another more eloquent Vietnam combat veteran could probably phrase this better.
It could also mean that he was in the service and was never SENT to Vietnam.
You go where the service sends you.
I work in the promotional products industry. I've got suppliers comming out of the woodwork with ideas on how to put a patriotic spin on advertising and promotional items.
The "Thanks for Traveling" crosses the line from being just patriotic to a business promotion. If he changed the text to "United We Stand" or "God Bless America" then he would be getting more sympathy from me.
It could also mean that he was in the service and was never SENT to Vietnam.
You go where the service sends you.
Yeah, but the way it was said, the attempt was made to imply a Vietnam Vet. I think he could have phase the comment a bit better without implying something that wasn't.
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