Bad Links?
Other glitches?
Notify Webmaster

‘God bless America’ banner comes down

By J. FRANK LYNCH
jflynch@theCitizenNews.com

Crumpton Furniture’s “God Bless America” banner has finally come down in Fayetteville.

About 500 people turned out Saturday night for a 9/11 commemorative concert at The Villages Amphitheater marking the end of a months-long patriotic campaign in the city inspired by the oversized banner.

Brothers Ronnie and Eddie Crumpton drew national attention in January when Fayetteville officials cited them for unlawful display of their sign on the front of their furniture store on North Glynn Street.

At 90 square feet, the size of the sign was in violation of the city’s sign ordinance. It had been on display since shortly after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, which also violated a portion of the ordinance limiting temporary signs to 60 days.

After the sign controversy was detailed first in The Citizen and then picked up by the national news and radio talk shows, support for the Crumpton’s sign began pouring in from around the country.

City officials in late February reached a solution by temporarily amending the sign ordinance to allow for similar patriotic displays on homes and businesses through Sept. 11 only.

Dozens of signs sporting messages like “Fayetteville Salutes America” and “Support Our Troops” were displayed throughout town this spring and summer. By Sunday afternoon it appeared most all had been taken down in accordance with the temporary ordinance.

The Crumptons received a standing ovation at Saturday’s rally as they paraded the now-famous banner into the amphitheater and hung it across the stage.

Local real estate developer Lane Brown, who came up with the compromise idea and sold the city on the patriotic campaign, thanked key figures for making it happen Saturday.

Radio personality Moby of The Bear 92.5-FM in Griffin sang the National Anthem, and country music star T. Graham Brown entertained with a free concert.

The sign will still be hanging at Crumpton’s, the brothers say, but inside the showroom instead of outside on the front of the building.