It's hard to drive through Denton without seeing Frenchy's flags.
"This is just a patriotic corner of Denton County, and that's the way we want to keep it," says Andre "Frenchy" Rheault.
Don't let his name fool you; Frenchy is as American as they come. And for twenty-something years on Dallas Avenue, the Vietnam Veteran has flown American flags at his lawn care business, and on vans that travel throughout town with messages plastered on the side.
"We probably have about 25 flags right now flying," he says. "Never had a problem with it before."
Until now.
"We got a complaint," explains Lancine Bentley of the city of Denton.
Bentley says a Denton city ordinance prohibits people in town from flying more than one American flag without a permit. Same goes for Texas flags and any other flags. The permit necessary is $90 and lasts 30 days, and you can only have a permit for a total of 90 days a year. That would make Frenchy's goal of always flying these flags impossible.
Bentley tells News 8 it's a fairness issue, and they cannot make an exception any longer. They cited other businesses too.
"If it's something we decided we could do for one individual, that would be definitely selective enforcement," Bentley says. "We would need to do that for everybody."
Long-time Denton resident Inez Young says this is now the talk of the town.
"Frenchy's is just a part of Denton and it's almost like… if it wasn't here, it wouldn't be the same," Young says.
Even now facing a citation and an order to appear in court, Frenchy says he has absolutely no intention of taking down any of these flags. He says that would be unpatriotic.
"It makes you proud. It makes your heart go pitter patter, and that's what it means to me," he says of the flags.
So he'll go to court in "Mean Green" territory for the right to fly his red white in blue en masse.
