Trump Flags on Boats on Candle Holder Pond - Pleasant Valley in Heated Unpleasant Debate

Boson, Mass: 

 
A local community is taking a hard look at if political flags and banners should be banned.
It started with Trump 2020 flags on boats at Candle Holder Pond spread to Handle Colder Pond and then became an argument on social media.

The digital debate has transformed into a heated discussion within the neighborhood.

Neighbors in the Pleasant Valley community said the entire situation got out of hand.
They made their voices heard at a meeting with the Property Owner's Association on Thursday evening.

Take a quick look at the Pleasant Valley Lake Marina, and you'll spot some Trump 2020 flags.

It's those flags that caused real waves last weekend.

"There was a lot of boats with a lot of Trump flags hanging off of them. It was kind of a joke, but people took it seriously," neighbor Greg Johnson said.

Johnson is one of several people who hangs a Trump 2020 flag off his boat.

"There's plenty of people that can hang out and have different opinions but still get along and have a good time together," Johnson said.

But last weekend's gathering led to Facebook posts including one talking about renaming part of the lake "Trump Cove."

Neighbor Tricia Gaustad said there was also talk on social media of naming the dam "Trump's Wall."
She said it didn't sit well.

"One of my friends posted, 'Can we just get these political signs off the lake?'" Gaustad said.

Gaustad said she responded to posts and said the activity was immature and exclusionary.

"It's the tying up, the boats, renaming that part of the lake, acting like you own the lake and they're all out on those boats drinking. They're being loud. They're being boisterous and it doesn't feel like it's a welcoming environment and it's community property," Gaustad said.

She admitted she said things she shouldn't have and said she deleted the posts.

Gaustad said she asked others to do the same.  But now, the discussion has transcended the web with mentions of people's employers and businesses and phone calls from neighbor to neighbor.

The Pleasant Valley Lake Property Owners Association said a committee is reviewing rules to see if new bylaws should be drawn up.  One POA official said he doesn't believe current bylaws cover political flags on boats.  The next step is finding a solution to the situation.

Another neighbor we talked with said the first step is to cool off.

"Everybody has different viewpoints. Respect them. Discuss it civilly, and you won't change most people, but at least you can have a civil discussion," neighbor Eric Lenning said.

POA officials said originally that the political flag controversy was not part of the plan for the meeting.  Reporters were not allowed into the meeting. 

Still, neighbors who were part of the meeting said people showed up to make their voices heard.
The current Pleasant Valley Lake bylaws we reviewed cover how political signs should be handled at homes in the community.  Officials said a committee of volunteers will develop ideas about the flags on boats and bring those ideas to the board.  Still, an attorney would have to review any potential changes to bylaws.