Veterans group, supporters want American flag in new Salisbury park

Volunteers holding small flags at Bell Tower Green
A group of veterans say they can’t understand why there’s no flag in the park, and they’re making a visible display of their feelings.
Published: Aug. 11, 2022 at 6:24 AM EDT
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SALISBURY, N.C. (WBTV) - Most everyone agrees that the new Bell Tower Green Park in downtown Salisbury has been a wonderful addition to the community. The $13 million park was built largely by private donations and opened in October 2021.

Located between West Innes, South Church, West Fisher and South Jackson streets, the park has become a popular gathering spot for families and the venue for major events like a Christmas tree lighting.

Now some are saying the park is missing a vital element: an American flag.

A group of veterans say they can’t understand why there’s no flag in the park, and they’re making a visible display of their feelings.

On Thursday morning there was a group of 6 veterans waving flags and greeting drivers along W. Innes St. They say they will continue to be there until a flag goes up in the park.

“This is an American city, and All-American city, and we have no flag, so my passion is I fought for this flag, I watched people die for this flag, I’ve seen people born under this flag, so why no flag,” said veteran Thomas “Ski” Kopetzky. “This beautiful park, Bell Tower Green, it needs a flag.”

A group of veterans say they can’t understand why there’s no flag in the park, and they’re making a visible display of their feelings.

“The veterans have started this week, and will continue to be in the park holding the flag manually and my husband literally held it for three hours,” the wife of one of the veterans told WBTV in an email. “The plan at this time is to have someone always there to fly this flag until it can be permanently erected.”

“It is a shame that we as American’s do not honor our flag as we once did with these people running the show, but this show is not over,” the woman wrote. “These veterans fought for our country and honor this flag and will take as far as they have to in order to have one permanently displayed in the park.”

During the public comment period at the August 2 Salisbury City Council meeting the issue was raised. Several speakers expressed support for the idea of placing the flag at the park.

Though created an built by private interests, the park was donated to the City of Salisbury and is maintained by the city staff. The City of Salisbury received a $350,000 grant as part of $6.7 million in funds awarded from the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund (PARTF).

“I’m here to support the motion that we take whatever action is necessary as soon as possible to place the American flag in the Bell Tower Green Park,” said Ronnie Smith. A formal, verbal request was made to council last year, Smith said. “We’re here again today, and I’m backed by many veterans to respectfully as the city council to take whatever action is necessary to go ahead today and expedite that request last year.”

“We would like to have the American flag flying proudly over the All-American city of Salisbury, North Carolina, in our, probably, most famous park, the Bell Tower Green,” Smith said.

Mayor Karen Alexander said that the city is moving closer to having a flag installed at the park, but added “unfortunately, there is a process to it.”

“It is not, however, something this council can act on,” Alexander said. “It is a community park and the community should have a voice in deciding the future of the design and use, including the installation of a flag.”

The city is setting up an oversight board for the park. That board consists of seven seats, three of which are open to public volunteers. Once the board is full, they can and will entertain the request, according to Mayor Alexander.

The oversight board was a stipulation included when the City of Salisbury took over operation of the park. It also means that changes cannot be made at the park without the board’s approval.

There is a large American flag on the corner across the street from the Bell Tower Green Park at the Rowan County Administration building.

Dyke Messinger, former President of Bell Tower Green Park, Inc., provided the following statement to WBTV on Thursday afternoon regarding the flag issue. It says:

There has been much attention recently about having a flag at Bell Tower Green (BTG) Park. That’s great because the Board of BTG wants everyone to see the park as an extension of themselves and the community. Our flag is symbolic of our nation, our veterans, and ourselves. It is the symbol of everything our country represents. It is a source of pride for every American.

When our master plan committee and our architects planned the park, the placement of a flag was important to them. As with other design decisions, they surveyed the property and the activities planned for each area of the park. What was the best location for a flag? The article in last Sunday’s paper correctly stated that a flag is typically placed at a park’s entrance, which, in our case, is the corner of Innes and Church streets. The design team quickly noticed that we already have a flag at that corner in front of the County Administration building. The flagpole is about 60′ from the park’s entrance, about 40′ tall, and in line with the park’s entrance. There is a large American flag at the top, and just as important, it is in direct sight line with the center of the park. So the question became: do we need two flags so close together, both at the same intersection?

Our designers decided that the flag in front of the County building met the need for a flag at BTG, and our Board agreed.

Other considerations surrounded our decision. Maybe the most important is how a park integrates with the surrounding buildings and neighborhood. For example, we have all seen how the three streets surrounding the park (Church, Fisher, and Jackson) become a part of the park itself during significant events. In cooperation with the City of Salisbury, we also built green islands into the street landscape, blending the park into its surroundings. Another example is the sidewalk connecting the library with the park. It invites visitors from the park to enter the library and library clients to visit the park. The connection is good because a park should consider its surroundings and blend into them. With the flag, it’s the same concept. We are fortunate that our park connects with the seat of Rowan County government. That beautiful building and the flag are an entry point to the park.

Another consideration of park design is community engagement. Community groups and citizens should use the park for events that highlight their interests. Those events bring all of us together. For example, we want our citizens to use the park on special days, like Veteran’s Day and Memorial Day, which are important in our country’s history and our veteran’s sacrifices for our freedom. American flags should be a part of these celebrations and brought into the park for those events. This would be the same for other community groups, so whatever banners or signs that express their thoughts and beliefs can be displayed because the park belongs to the people. However, when these events conclude, the signs and banners are removed, and the park is back to being a park. That’s the way it should be. That’s the way it was designed. The more we permanently change the park, the less it is a park.

So now we await the recommendation of the BTG Committee to the City Council and the Council’s final decision. I believe the committee will see that there is a flag at the entrance to the park. It is prominent and meets the universal desire for an American flag at BTG.

Asked about the flag at the Administration building, the veterans responded that “it doesn’t count” because it is not within the confines of the Bell Tower Green Park. For now, those veterans say they will continue to stand in the park holding flags.

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