Pink flamingo welcome back in Baltimore

BALTIMORE, Oct. 28 (UPI) -- Baltimore City officials announced a deal has been struck that will return a home-made pink flamingo to its longtime perch on a restaurant fire escape.

The kitschy icon constructed of bed sheets and wire had been spirited away from the Cafe Hon by its owners this month after the city slapped the eatery with an $800 fee for a permit.

Cafe owner Denise Whiting has agreed to drop her public protest over the flamingo in exchange for a lower fee, Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon said Tuesday.

"It is an icon," the mayor said. "It is a thriving business and part of what Baltimore is made of. I felt like we could have taken a different approach."

The Baltimore Sun said city staff members would conduct a review of fees and regulations that affect small business in the city.