By Dave Barron

The staff at the Monterey Park Chamber was celebrating the other day over the replacement of the American Flag by the City.

The tall flagpole that stands proudly in the little green strip on El Portal had been without a flag for a while.

The previous flag was weathered and not in shape to be flown.

The City staff has provided the chamber with a new flag. Suet Chung of the City, Lily Frutos, Chamber staff member, and Daniel Kim, interim executive director were involved in getting the new flag.

The Flag was brought back just in time for Flag Day on Sunday, June 14. Around here Flag Day may not be a very big deal, but it is very important for many of us. I remember as an elementary school pupil standing at attention every day as the National Anthem was played and the school flag was raised.

Normally Old Glory is not flown during weekends at the chamber.  The banner can be flown at night only if it is well lighted. Jerry Lockwood of the City’s Public Works Department, reports that the Flags at City Hall and City’s Corporate yard are lighted and flown 24-7.
We are going to make sure the flag is raised at El Encanto this Sunday (June 14) at about 9 a.m.

However, the staff at the chamber reports that it is such a big flag, it requires two people. If you would like to help out , just show up at that time. It won’t take more than few minutes. Maybe we can go out to breakfast afterwards.

I plan to return about 5 p.m. the same day to take it down – again, I may need some help.
If you want to learn about our U.S. Flag, the Internet provides many great websites that describe every little bit of history and some trivia.

According to Wikipedia, Flag Day commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States, which happened that day by resolution of the Second Continental Congress in 1777.

Later on in 1916, President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation that officially established June 14 as Flag Day. Then in August 1949, National Flag Day was established by an Act of Congress.

]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]Flag Day is not an official federal holiday. When the day falls on a weekday, city halls remain open, as are banks, post offices, schools and federal offices.
Back on June 14, 1937, Pennsylvania became the first (and only) U.S. state to celebrate Flag Day as a state holiday.
According to Wikipedia.org, the longest-running Flag Day parade is held annually in Quincy, Massachusetts, which began 1952 and will celebrate its 59th year in 2009.
The largest Flag Day parade is held annually in Troy, New York, which typically draws 50,000 spectators.
By the way, don’t forget to fly Old Glory at your home. If you don’t have a flag, you can purchase one at most markets and pharmacies such as CVS. Bring the family outside and make a big deal of raising your flag on Flag Day.