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Noisy news trucks have neighbors on edge

Neighbors of Stacey Kelley have complained about early morning noise.

By REBECCA CATALANELLO
Published March 14, 2006

TAMPA - Neighbor complaints about news trucks blocking Stacey Kelley's Westchase street prompted community leaders Monday to ask her to "coordinate" with them any time news trucks want to enter the subdivision to view her controversial "Support Our Troops" sign.

Kelley, 24, has become the buzz of local and national electronic media since she went public with her fight against the Westchase Community Association over the sign they say violates the deed-restricted neighborhood bylaws.

An Army wife whose husband is serving in Iraq, Kelley wants to keep the sign up until her husband comes home - which could be as soon as April 15. But the community association says that's against the rules and she may face a fine of $100 per day while the placard stands.

At 6 p.m. Monday, the neighborhood property manager met with Kelley and asked her to deliver association paperwork to her mother, Gloria Nelson, who is listed as owner of the residence on Bridgeton Drive.

Included was a form they asked Nelson to sign saying she would notify neighbors whenever she invited a news organization to see the sign in her front yard.

Daryl Manning, president of the association's board, said the request is not an attempt to squelch media coverage, but simply a way to put neighbors on alert. Saturday, Good Morning America arrived at the residence in the wee morning hours in order to tape a segment that aired at 7 a.m. Neighbors complained the commotion was disruptive, Manning said.

Kelley said she hopes to meet today with Luke Lirot, one of the Tampa Bay area's leading First Amendment attorneys, best known for his work representing area strip clubs.

Manning also gave Kelley a notice of the sign violation for her mother. He was previously unaware that Nelson, not Kelley, was the home's legal owner. Manning wants Nelson to answer for the offending sign by 5 p.m. toda y. Nelson has said several times that she supports her daughter's fight.

Kelley said she bought the home originally when she was 19, but about two years ago the family agreed to put the house in Nelson's name for legal reasons. Kelley was getting married and believed she'd be moving elsewhere.

Kelley said she has no intention of giving up her fight to keep the sign posted, despite some negative responses from others.

Someone hacked into her America Online account, she said. When she tried to sign on this weekend, everything had been scrambled. Before her eyes, a pho AOL had posted of Kelley seated next to the sign began to move: The sign floated out of the ground and its stake began stabbing her image.

But Kelley's still not throwing in the towel.

"There's too many people behind me," she said. "It's gone too far now."

--Staff writer Rebecca Catalanello can be reached at rcatalanello@sptimes.com or 813 226-3383.

[Last modified March 14, 2006, 00:54:19]