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No agreement yet in fight over 'troop' sign

The military wife who wants to display a "Support Our Troops' sign and the Iraqi veteran who is charged with enforcing association rules that prevent the display of lawn signs met, but no deal was reached.

By STEPHANIE HAYES nd REBECCA CATALANELLO
Published March 10, 2006

TAMPA - For a moment Friday, it seemed Stacey Kelley and Daryl Manning might reach a truce over the "Support Our Troops" sign anchored in the front lawn of her Westchase home, a violation of deed restrictions.

Listeners to the Schnitt Show, a local radio talk show hosted by radio personality Todd Schnitt on WFLA-FM 970, heard Kelley, a military wife, and Manning, an Iraq war veteran and president of the Westchase Community Association, agree to meet in private that night and try to work things out.

They did meet - away from the airwaves and the photographers and the reporters.

They talked for about a half hour and talked "amicably," Manning said.

They didn't reach a compromise. But they're still negotiating.

"We shared some stories, got to know each other," Manning said. They talked about the sign, he said. They chatted about Kelley's husband David, who is in the Army serving in Iraq. They talked about how rules change in a neighborhood association.

But as they get ready to air their differences nationally today on Good Morning America at 7 a.m., they don't have a common ground. At least not one they're ready to report.

Kelley said Manning told her he wanted to talk with the board before either of them go public with a potential compromise. In the meantime, Kelley said she plans to work within the system to change the bylaws to make them friendly to signs like hers.

"We're not best of friends," Manning said after their discussion. "We're neighbors that talk to each other, that feel comfortable around each other. We both went away with the same thing - lets take a look at this and see how this can work out."

Kelley vowed during a Thursday board meeting of the Westchase Community Association that the sign would stay. She refused an option Manning offered to place the sign at the Westchase Swim and Tennis Center, where more people could see it.

The sign has been in her yard since December, though she only received notification she was in violation on Feb. 14.

Manning said Friday the neighborhood association was first notified of the sign by a property manager making routine compliance checks. No one had complained, he said.

But since the debate hit local and national media outlets, passions are flying.

Several signs have popped up on utility poles, stop signs and trees throughout Westchase's Greens neighborhood: "America Before Westchase, Support Freedom of Speech" declared white, notebook paper-sized pages held up with duct tape.

[Last modified March 10, 2006, 22:45:04]