Army 1st Lt. Joe Theinert just can't get a break. The local hero from Shelter Island died in Afghanistan last June and his funeral was a inexplicable target of Fred Phelps' Westboro Baptist Church. (We had heard that both the North and South Ferry experienced sudden, unexplained mechanical problems once the protesters were on board... they were stranded in the middle of the channel until after the funeral was over and the boats miraculously started working again.)
So for Memorial Day this year, the American Legion invested in new, heavy duty flags to line the parade route to honor Lt. Theinert. But siting an obscure law, the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) says they now have to charge $5 for every American flag hung from one of their poles and that it'd be simply impossible to waive the fee. (Verizon, to their credit, says they're aware of the law and are waiving the fee on any flags attached to their poles.)
· LIPA Causes Uproar By Charging To Honor Fallen Soldier On Shelter Island [CBS News]