Changes to the patriotic display of American flags in downtown Pembroke may be on the way after some discussion at the City Council meeting on Monday.
Although the council tentatively approved a request from the American Legion Ladies Auxiliary Unit 164 to host the unit’s annual Veteran’s Day program and flag display in the downtown area on Nov. 10, Unit President Susie Magee said the flag committee had decided to move the display and annual ceremony.
“In a recent visit to the square, we made the discovery that approximately 21 augured holes (for flags) are no longer usable due to the sidewalk and landscaping improvements that have been made by the city of Pembroke,” Magee told the council. “It is because of the space restrictions and future unknowns that with heavy hearts the Unit 164 has decided to move our flag display to the American Legion Post 164.”
Mayor Mary Warnell told Magee it wasn’t the city’s intent to eliminate the spaces used to display the flags, but that the flag display would be realigned and the holes that were eliminated during construction would be replaced.
“I don’t think you were aware of the fact that we were replacing all of (the holes) to make them fit on the block, you just haven’t given us time for the walk through with the construction project and to get that set up,” she said. “I was not aware that you had even been over there or that you were requesting this change tonight.”
Magee said Tuesday the unit’s flag committee can’t meet again until Friday to discuss the matter but added that if the committee did decide to leave the display downtown, there would be some stipulations.

Read more in the Oct. 10 edition of the news.