Residents fight for flag display in Sugar Land neighborhood

(1/09/07 - KTRK/SUGAR LAND, TX) (KTRK) -- A mother in Sugar Land is furious that she can't show support for her son who is serving in Iraq. It's turned into a fight over a flag display that is dividing a neighborhood. The display stood at the entrance to the Orchard Lake Estates in Sugar Land.

For three years, Lori Page drove right by them on her way home, but now 20 feet up, there is nothing there.

Now she has erected a smaller flag display and started a petition that is working to get the large Texas and American flags back. When Page's son, Daniel, came home from basic training for Christmas, she didn't know how to explain it.

"Obviously different people feel different about the war, but he never thought anybody would feel different about flying the flag in the United States of America and neither did I," said Page with a hint of tears.

The family says it has been difficult getting answers and this could be a misunderstanding after the previous flags had been damaged during a storm. We found what appeared to be two flag poles behind a fence at the community center. An advisory committee member for the neighborhood said they didn't take them down.

KTRK legal analyst Joel Androphy says it could be a tough battle.

"An informal advisory board is not the same as a homeowner's association and at the end will have to abide by what really everyone wants to do," said Androphy.

Page collected hundreds of signatures over the weekend for the petition.

"No matter what ethnic group we're from or who we are, the majority of us all want the flags back," said Page.

She hopes the next time Daniel is home, he will be greeted by the flags.

A member of that advisory committee tells Eyewitness News that they have not been given full control because this development has not been completed. We tried to contact the property management, but it was after hours, and we did not hear back from them.
(Copyright © 2007, KTRK-TV)

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