A sign hovering above a Huntington Beach saloon for the last six years, thanking veterans for protecting our freedom, has been ordered to be removed. When he arrived at work on Monday, Johnny Kresimir, the owner of Johnny’s Booze and Pool, discovered a citation had been placed on his door. A city spokeswoman for Huntington Beach said the establishment lacked the proper permits to display the sign that reads, “Thank a Veteran for your Freedom.”
Kresimir posted on Facebook that the City was threatening him with a $1000 fine if he didn’t produce the necessary permits to hang the sign. "If the sign goes down, it's not going to hurt our business. It's just going to hurt the community," Kresimir lamented. Veterans reacted to the incident by posting reasons for why the sign should remain perched above the bar. A campaign to keep the sign has been spearheaded by Mayor Pro Tem Matthew Harper. He pledges that he will fight to preserve the sign if it comes up before the City Council.
The metal structure that supports the sign was placed there before Kresimir purchased the saloon. Removing the sign is a big job because of the electrical wiring, and his commercial lease prohibits anyone to stand on the roof. Kresimir is dismayed that he has to take it down because he erected the sign to honor veterans and those currently serving in our military. However, the patriotic proprietor isn’t giving up and plans to lobby the city to see if he can keep the sign in place. If he loses the battle, Kresimir vows to invite veterans from the area to come and say goodbye to the symbol that honors them.
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