stephanie
08-03-2009, 10:38 AM
WT??
By Mike Brassfield, Times Staff Writer
Posted: Aug 03, 2009 09:54 AM
CLEARWATER — The Clearwater City Council plans to discuss the removal of several American flags, an act that has drawn widespread ire, during a work session this morning.
Some council members are expected to suggest that at least some of the flagpoles be put back up.
Kevin Dunbar, Clearwater's parks and recreation director, ordered the removal of 13 flagpoles from across the city last week. He said budget cuts made it impossible to properly care for the flags.
So Dunbar had city workers pull the poles out of the ground. The last flagpoles were removed Friday.
City Council members and Clearwater Mayor Frank Hibbard were never consulted before the removal.
Public reaction to news of the flag removal has been heavy and harsh. After the St. Petersburg Times posted the story on tampabay.com Friday, over 260 readers posted comments, with several commenters calling for city officials to be summarily fired.
Dunbar said the flagpoles were removed only at several facilities controlled by the parks and recreation department — the flag still flies at City Hall, for instance — and only if the flag was on site for display purposes only.
A flagpole remained at the E.C. Moore Complex because during softball tournaments "we play the national anthem," Dunbar said last week, but flagpoles were removed from a nature park and from Sand Key Bay Park.
the whole article and comments...
http://www.tampabay.com/news/localgovernment/article1024279.ece
By Mike Brassfield, Times Staff Writer
Posted: Aug 03, 2009 09:54 AM
CLEARWATER — The Clearwater City Council plans to discuss the removal of several American flags, an act that has drawn widespread ire, during a work session this morning.
Some council members are expected to suggest that at least some of the flagpoles be put back up.
Kevin Dunbar, Clearwater's parks and recreation director, ordered the removal of 13 flagpoles from across the city last week. He said budget cuts made it impossible to properly care for the flags.
So Dunbar had city workers pull the poles out of the ground. The last flagpoles were removed Friday.
City Council members and Clearwater Mayor Frank Hibbard were never consulted before the removal.
Public reaction to news of the flag removal has been heavy and harsh. After the St. Petersburg Times posted the story on tampabay.com Friday, over 260 readers posted comments, with several commenters calling for city officials to be summarily fired.
Dunbar said the flagpoles were removed only at several facilities controlled by the parks and recreation department — the flag still flies at City Hall, for instance — and only if the flag was on site for display purposes only.
A flagpole remained at the E.C. Moore Complex because during softball tournaments "we play the national anthem," Dunbar said last week, but flagpoles were removed from a nature park and from Sand Key Bay Park.
the whole article and comments...
http://www.tampabay.com/news/localgovernment/article1024279.ece