EASTHAMPTON — Sparked by resident worries that an American flag that has flown over Nashawannuck Pond for nearly 25 years between Memorial Day and Veterans Day may have come down for good, a City Council subcommittee began the process Tuesday night of drafting regulations that they hope would bring the flag back.

Whether that will happen in time for this Memorial Day in a little more than a month’s time remains unclear, however.

Roughly a dozen residents attended a City Council Property Committee meeting to talk about the importance of the flag as a community symbol, and others sat in the crowd to show solidarity. The flag went up in 2001 as a symbol memorializing those who gave their lives on 9/11.

“It’s important to me to see that flag flying over the pond,” said resident Natalie Murphy, who served in the military for more than a decade and has son in the Army. “It makes me feel safer. It makes me feel like we’re united.”

The issue of the flag not returning this year began after Veterans Day last year, when the flag was brought down for the season, as it historically has. However, this time, the cable the flag is suspended from came down as well, following the request of Easthampton Mayor Nicole LaChapelle.

Previously, LaChapelle told the Gazette that the flag has been in violation of a national flag code which offers guidelines for how and when flags can be flown on government property. The specific violations cited by the mayor were the fact that the flag is not illuminated at all times, and is not “properly taken up and down.”

Property Committee Chair Thomas Peake explained at Tuesday’s meeting that currently, the only city document providing guidance regarding flag-flying on government property is a June 2022 mayoral order. This document states that flags can be put up on city property with the approval of the mayor. Now, the committee is working to draft an ordinance that could change that guidance.

At the meeting, the committee sought public input on what language should be included in the ordinance. Most of those who spoke requested just one measure regarding the flag: that it be allowed to fly.

Residents shared personal testimony about their relationships to the flag, or their frustration that it has been taken down. Others expressed their growing impatience with the matter of the flag, as they felt that city officials have been delaying opportunities to address the issue.

The matter was originally taken up in a Parks and Recreation Commission meeting, because the flag is anchored in a Parks and Recreation Department managed cemetery on one side. On the other side, it is anchored on private property. The commission then sent the matter on to the City Council, which referred it to the Property Committee.

City resident Darlene Orvieto said she thought these delays were “purposeful,” and that she thinks it was “not a coincidence that [the flag] came down right after the election.”

Peake explained that some of the delay in bringing the matter to a Property Committee meeting had to do with turnover on the committee following the resignation of former city councilor and committee member Owen Zaret, and the election of councilor Peg Conniff to the vacated position.

Community shares relationship to flag

Former Easthampton Mayor Michael Tautznik, who has been heavily involved in the raising of the Nashawannuck Pond flag since its inception, noted that one of the reasons originally cited by the mayor for removing the flag was the fact that it isn’t authorized by a city body.

Tautznik countered that the flag over the pond was authorized by the former Cemetery Commission, which preceded the current Parks and Recreation Commission. Additionally, Tautznik said that the group that flies the flag has formulated a lighting plan to address concerns about 24/7 illumination.

Tautznik also emphasized that the reason for the flag’s presence over the pond is to serve as a symbol memorializing those who gave their lives on 9/11.

“We do this because we want to remember,” he said. “We do this because we believe it’s the right thing to do.”

Taking a different stance that his fellow attendees, resident Nathan Markee recalled his time living in New York City during 9/11, and recognized the difficult times the flag is meant to pay homage to. However, Markee said he doesn’t have an opinion on whether the flag should fly. Rather, he found the community’s focus on “symbols” to be of minor importance while the Constitution is being “shredded” by the current presidential administration.

Memorial Day deadline

As the committee moved away from public speak time and into deliberations, impatience mounted in the crowd, leading to repeated interruptions that led the committee to allow a second public speak period. After allowing attendees to air additional frustrations, committee members began brainstorming ways to get the flag up and flying on time for its usual season.

Councilor Conniff explained that the current issue in her mind with the flag flying sans an official policy is that it raises questions about “government speak.” Because there is no city language defining which flags are allowed to fly over the pond, Conniff explained that allowing it to continue to fly without official regulations could open the door to many other types of flags being flown on government property, potentially raising further issues. She also noted that, because the city doesn’t handle the raising of the flag, it could present a liability issue.

“It’s that we are putting something on a public piece of property that we should just have a policy for,” she said.

The three committee members — Peake, Conniff and James Kwiecinski — clarified that they have no issue with the flag flying over the pond.

Kwiecinski expressed some frustration that the reasons for the flag being taken down have not been made abundantly clear by the mayor.

“I would love to know the reasons why the flag is not allowed at this time,” he said.

This raised vexation from audience members that the mayor has not attended any of the three meetings held regarding the flag. Kwiecinski later said that he was also “very disappointed” by the mayor’s absence.

Mayor LaChapelle did not respond immediately to a request for comment on Wednesday.

However, Conniff said that when she reached out to the mayor about the flag issue, they had a lengthy conversation about it. She encouraged her fellow committee members to do the same.

Because the committee worried that passing a formal ordinance addressing all flags on government property would not be feasible in the short time period between the meeting and when the flag typically gets raised — around Memorial Day — they explored the possibility of drafting a resolution endorsing the flag, or drafting an ordinance specifically addressing just the flag over the pond.

The committee offered a few points that they hope to include in the legislation they plan to begin working on. Nodding to a request from community member Kathy Wauczinski, Conniff noted that there should be official language designating that only the American flag can fly over the pond. The committee also plans to put in writing the set date range that the flag will fly within, and place safety checks on its installation. Peake also said that, since it appears doable, the flag should also be flown in accordance with the flag code.

The committee plans to bring a draft of legislation specific to the flag over Nashawannuck Pond to a meeting at the end of this month. At the conclusion of Tuesday’s meeting, they said that the intended date and time for the follow-up meeting would be April 29 at 5:30 p.m. in the City Council meeting chambers at 50 Payson Ave.

Alexa Lewis can be reached at alewis@gazettenet.com.