AMHERST — An American flag that served as a paint drop cloth, recently discarded inside a building at Greenleaves Apartments, has upset military veterans who live at the complex and puzzled the property owner and its employees as to who would have used Old Glory in that way.
“You don’t ever do that to an American flag,” said veteran Robert Belado, 90, in a phone interview this week.
Belado served stateside in the U.S. Coast Guard between 1944 and 1946.
“There’s no excuse for that, as far as I’m concerned,” Belado said. “I hate to see anyone misuse a flag.”
But it’s not clear how the flag got inside the building.
Sue Mongeon, director of marketing and property management for Greenleaves, said employees for Russell Street Contractors, which does maintenance at the property owned by Amhad Development Corp., discovered the abandoned flag on the floor and put it into storage until it could be properly disposed.
“They didn’t want to desecrate the flag,” Mongeon said.
Mongeon added that American flags fly from the buildings in the complex, and there is an appreciation for the residents who have served the United States.
“We honor the people who fought for our country,” Mongeon said.
Still, someone removed the flag from storage and pinned it to a bulletin board in a common area, attaching a note disparaging Amhad. The note read: “Shame on Amhad for using the U.S. flag as a paint drop cloth. There are military men and women living at Greenleaves that fought for what this flag stands for – and to protect all of us.”
Mongeon said the property owner and workers were shocked to be accused of disrespecting the flag.
The display was eventually taken down, but Mongeon said now no one knows where the flag is.
Belado, who has expertise in disposal of flags through participation in ceremonies at an American Legion post in Orange, said he would like to find the flag so it can be properly retired.
A resolution designed to promote effective planning and land use, which cities and towns will be asked to endorse at this weekend’s Massachusetts Municipal Association conference in Boston, is being opposed by the Select Board.
The unanimous opposition comes after Peter Vickery, a representative of the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce, said that the measure would be used to “grease the skids” for reconsideration of comprehensive zoning that would have encouraged affordable housing and sustainable growth by assessing impact fees, requiring inclusionary zoning, and so-called grants of constructive approval.
Even though passed by the Senate, the bill languished in the House of Representatives last year.
The Select Board, though, is endorsing unanimously a second resolution calling for a continuing fiscal partnership between cities and towns and the state government.
Formosa Chinese Restaurant, which replaced Amherst Chinese at 62 Main St. last fall, recently obtained an all-alcohol liquor license that will allow customers to order beer, wine and mixed drinks.
The Select Board approved the license Jan. 9, even though member Andrew Steinberg expressed concerns that employees had only been trained using an online responsible alcohol serving. Steinberg said this has limitations.
But owner Luanne Wu said staff is prepared to demand IDs from anyone who looks under 35, as a measure of preventing possible underage serving.
Amherst author, editor and Fisher Home volunteer Marietta Pritchard will read from her latest book, “The Way Home,” at a free event Monday.
Her talk will take place at 1:30 p.m. at the Amherst Woman’s Club, 35 Triangle St.
Refreshments will be served after her talk.
MONDAY: Select Board, 6:30 p.m., Town Room, Town Hall.
TUESDAY: Amherst-Pelham Regional School Committee, 6 p.m., high school library.
