In his poem “Mending Wall,” Robert Frost wrote the famous line, “good fences make good neighbors.” William Coleman III can attest to that, if in a different context, and add a patriotic splash of color as well. Coleman, who lives
In his poem “Mending Wall,” Robert Frost wrote the famous line, “good fences make good neighbors.”
William Coleman III can attest to that, if in a different context, and add a patriotic splash of color as well.
Coleman, who lives in the Worcester, Mass., area, is on Kaua‘i to visit his son.
He is also in search of a chain-link fence with an unobstructed view that he can adorn with a painted American flag.
Coleman, the founder of the Great American Flag Project, has done this five times before, all in the greater Worcester area.
What makes a man paint flags on fences?
Coleman said he sees the American flag as the welcome symbol of the opportunities and possibilities to make something positive of one’s own life.
He’d love to do one of his 75-foot, chain-link-fence murals on Kaua‘i. He’ll supply the paint, the labor, and the goodwill.
All he’s lacking is a fence.
Coleman had spotted a good, unobstructed length of fence opposite the Lihu‘e Civic Center area.
“I’ve been driving up and down, and I’ve scouted a lot of places, and this would be the best,” he said of the site, which is on state-owned land. He said a 75-foot-by-6-foot fence mural would render a beautiful optical illusion when it reflected light. Previously, Coleman had done projects ranging from 35 feet to 100 feet.
He said he had contacted Glenn Yamamoto, state Department of Transportation Highways Division Kaua‘i, acting engineering program manager, and is waiting to see if it would be possible to paint the fence in honor of the Fourth of July.
He leaves Kaua‘i for Boston on Tuesday, July 5.
Yamamoto said it would likely not happen this year.
“He thought it was a good idea, but that there would be a lot of bureaucracy,” Coleman said.
Not to be deterred, Coleman is in the process of trying to get permission from Wilcox Elementary School leaders to paint a fence on that campus.
Coleman said any private-property fence-owner who wanted a flag is eligible as well. Coleman had estimated each flag project, which can take up to 36 hours to complete depending on size, costs about $500. He hand paints, and does not use spray-paint. On some projects, he has gotten help from volunteers.
Coleman, a community activist in Worcester, said he feels the country is lacking a sense of patriotism. He said he began the project prior to the events of Sept. 11, 2001, and feels impelled now with debate about flag-burning still a topic of interest nationally.
“We’ve all come here (to America) on different ships, but we’re really in the same boat. To paint the American flag is to paint an enduring symbol of freedom against tyranny,” he said. “By painting a flag, you give a gift to the community.”
Coleman said if he did get the opportunity to paint a fence, he would dedicate it to members of the armed services, and to public workers.
Coleman, who is an alumnus of Worcester State College, said he was first inspired to embellish chain-link fences when construction of the college’s new science and technology building began, according to Caroline Steele, a contributor to the Worcester Telegram & Gazette.
- Andy Gross, business editor, may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 251) or agross@pulitzer.net.
