Nonantum’s red, white and green lines saga continues through its third week—as the village prepares for its annual Italian festival next weekend—with neighbors and organizations banding together against what the St. Mary of Carmen Society called a “slap in the face” from Mayor Ruthanne Fuller.

In the middle of the night on June 26, DPW workers removed the iconic Italian flag colors from the middle of Adams Street that had been repainted each year for the past 90 years in honor of the village’s Italian immigrant heritage.

Fuller said the lines were removed so the city could add a yellow line down the center, and she said state law required a yellow line down that street. Neighbors aren’t buying that, especially with the removal coming just weeks before the annual Festa celebration with a parade that marches along those red, white and green lines.

Last week, the St. Mary of Carmen Society spoke out against Fuller’s decision. And now, the Adams Street Shul—the city’s oldest synagogue—has issued a statement. The Adams Street Shul fence is also lined with Italian flags this week in a show of support.

“As a faith institution in this neighborhood, we can recognize a sacred tradition when we see one, even if it is not our own,” the statement reads in part. “When one tradition is disrespected, it sends a message that we are not comfortable to ignore.

“Nonantum’s Italians and Jews share more than just streets and parks—we share values: faith, family, food, tradition and pride in where we come from,” the statement continues. “The removal of the historic cultural street lines was not just about paint—it was about erasing a visible representation of who we are.”

Meanwhile, volunteers are in a race against time to try to get those lines painted back on to Adams Street before the St. Mary of Carmen Festival, which will run from July 16 to 20.