Flag Banners Reappear at Diner in Rio Grande

RIO GRANDE — Not since Francis Scott Key stood before Fort McHenry and wrote “The Star Spangled Banner” have so many words been written about Old Glory. And, like the flag memorialized in our national anthem, the flags at Four Seasons Diner here are still there.
A media frenzy descended upon the small diner when owner George Fotakis decorated the property with American flags and multi-colored strings of pennants for the Fourth of July holiday. When told to remove the pennant strings because they did not comply with a Middle Township ordinance, Fotakis replaced the multi-colored pennants with strings of what appeared to be American flags.
Since then a line was drawn in the sand as to what defines an American flag and if the diner’s strings of red, white and blue pennants were “flags” or not.
A township official went to the diner to see the new pennant strings and felt that they did not meet the criteria of “flags.” Fotakis was asked to remove the strings.
According to the ordinance, “…strings of banners or pinwheels are prohibited…” The ordinance also reads, “Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to apply to the American flag. The American flag may be flown or displayed without limitation.”
Fotakis contacted State Sen. Jeff Van Drew’s (D-1st) office. Van Drew was the prime sponsor of Assembly Bill 3269, which prohibits any town from limiting the respectful display of the American flag. In a letter to Middle Township Administrator Mark Mallet, Van Drew wrote, “I believe the display that was in place at the Four Seasons Diner was respectful and placed there with the best intention.” The letter also stated, “Quite frankly, I believe this state law gives the Four Seasons Diner the right to display the flags in this manner on their property.”
Middle Township Mayor Susan DeLanzo addressed the flag issue at the July 18 Township Committee meeting.
“I’m not here to say if this is a flag or it’s not a flag. My job is to enforce the ordinance,” said DeLanzo. “What do we believe as residents of Middle Township? Does the ordinance include streamers and banners? I feel it is important to have a dialog.”
Joe Griffies, a resident of Rio Grande and a Vietnam veteran said, “I passed by the diner on the Fourth of July and said to my wife, ‘If I knew where he got them (the stringers), I’d buy some and put then on my lawn.’”
For other residents, however, the line between a string of pennants and a flag is very different. At the township meeting, Avalon Manor resident Karl Karmilowicz stated,
“You did the right thing. A flag is fabric.”
The flags, and the pennant strings, were put back up on the diner property. According to diner manager Linda Chambers, “we had a long talk with Sen. Van Drew and he told me the American flag can be flown – and they are American flags. I asked if we could put them back up, and he (Van Drew) said ‘go ahead’.”
“If it’s appropriate, the state law supercedes the township ordinance,” said Van Drew in an interview with the Herald. He explained that the state law requires the flags to not be placed on public property, to be respectful, and to not be creating a danger.
“The American people love their flag,” said Fotakis. “It looks like everyone agrees with that. I’ve gotten phone calls from all over the world.” And according to Fotakis, the flags at the Four Seasons forever may wave. “I’m going to keep them up until someone complains,” said Fotakis. “And if they fade, I’ll replace them with nylon ones.”