Lake Sun
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For the past 25 years, a large American Flag proudly flew over the Osage River Valley. But not this year. The flag is conspicuously absent this Fourth of July, much to the dismay of the members of American Legion Post 229.
The flag was flown with pride in an area set aside by the Legion as a memorial to those who died in service to their country.
The missing flag is now at the center of a disagreement between the Legion and the developers who purchased the property from AmerenUE.
Legion Chaplain Byron Grimes said the developers had agreed to maintain the memorial, including the 99-foot pole and the oversized flag.
In the fall of 2007, American Legion Post 229, which had occupied the property below Bagnell Dam for 23 years, entered into an agreement with Silver Star Development and Ameren UE, according to Grimes.
The Legion would vacate the ground it had leased and turn it over to Silver Star as part of a revitalization plan for the Bagnell Dam Strip area.
Silver Star is owned by Ron Amitage of Strafford, Mo. Armitage has partnered with Monte Davidson of Lake Ozark.
Last winter, a storm tore the flag and damaged the rope and pulley that raises the flag. The flag was taken down and sent off for repairs.
The Legion notified Silver Star that the rope and pulley for raising and lowering the flag needed to be fixed.
This past Monday one of the Legion members picked up the repaired flag and took it down to the flag pole. He saw that the pulley and rope had not been repaired. Grimes said the Legion has now been told that the developers have no intention of repairing the flag pole.
“So this 4th of July, the day we celebrate our independence, there is no big flag flying below the dam for the first time in a quarter century,” he said.
The developers say they paid for the repairs to the flag and have mowed the area around the memorial. As far as the pulley and rope go, they haven’t seen a written request for the repair.
“We don’t do anything without it being in writing,” Davidson said. That policy stems from several issues that sparked heated debate between the Legion and developer during the negotiations for the property.
“We have meet our obligation and taken care of what was turned over to us in writing,” Davidson said. As a veteran, Davidson said he understands the Legion has procedures they follow when raising the flag and the developers aren’t going to get involved in that.
Although Silver Star owns the land, it is included in the project boundaries of the Osage Hydroelectric Plant and Bagnell Dam. That means the property is included in the flood plain and is subject to the rules and regulations of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
Grimes and his fellow Legion members are taking their case to FERC.
“A letter is being sent to FERC, they approved the deal and still have a say in what happens in the area of the property that lies in the flood plain below the dam,” Grimes said.
The Legion was given a building in Eldon by AmerenUE along with a cash settlement by Silver Star when they agreed to vacate the property.
The Legion later purchased a building on Route W and for a short time operated a restaurant and bar there.
