Once-removed pro-Trump personalized brick reinstalled in New Smyrna Beach

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. — A personalized brick supporting President Donald Trump on Flagler Avenue's Memory Walk of Fame in New Smyrna Beach is making headlines again.

The brick, which reads "Trump 2020" and "Drain Swamp," was put back over the weekend with no notice or explanation after it was removed last week.

New Smyrna Beach resident Afien Casey was bubbling with joy because her brick is back.

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“I'm happy, I'm elated,” Casey said. “All of a sudden, I found out that they were replacing the brick. They never called me that that was going to happen, they just wanted to sweep the whole thing under the rug.”

More than a year ago, Casey purchased the brick from the Flagler Avenue Business Association, which runs the program, for nearly $100.

The pro-Trump message was a sentiment shared between Casey and her great-grandson Brandon. It was placed along a Flagler Avenue sidewalk with hundreds of others.

But amid some controversial chatter on social media, the brick was removed last week.

“It is sad because, actually, if they had contacted me in the first place and said, ‘Afien, there's a problem with the brick, somebody doesn't like it,’ we possibly could have come to an agreement,” Casey said.

Now that the brick is back, people are still talking.

Local merchant Lee Gilman has worked along this Memory Walk of Fame for five years and her shop sits across the street from Casey's brick.

“Unfortunately, I believe it was handled very badly,” Gilman said. “Putting the brick back was necessary, but I think they should have in their bylaws no political statement, nothing hateful, nothing that would offend someone else.”

WFTV contacted the Flagler Business Association on Tuesday morning but did not receive a response.

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Cox Media Group