GILROY
– Thirty-five flags waved proudly along the west side of
Monterey Street President’s Day.
GILROY – Thirty-five flags waved proudly along the west side of Monterey Street President’s Day.
Local Boy Scouts set up the flags from First to Eighth streets after months of anticipation.
The flags are the first milestone for the Downtown Flag Project. The goal of the project is to set up flags along both sidewalks of Monterey Street from First to Tenth streets on special holidays. About 10 flags will wave on each block, for a total of 100 flags adorning downtown.
“They (the flags) look good, and they stand for what we represent, the land of the free and the home of the brave. I think we should have one on every corner of downtown Monterey Street,” said Gilroy resident Victor Gonzalez, who saw them Monday.
Under direction of Doug Livingston, the Gilroy Boy Scouts spent one night a week for five weeks assembling the flags and constructing bags to keep the flags in. About 18 to 20 scouts volunteered their time on preparing the project. Once the flags were ready, about a half-dozen scouts set up the flags Monday.
Workers have adapted to at least one problem so far in placing the stars and strips downtown. The holes which supported the poles had to be made larger than originally estimated. The flags are about 3 by 5 feet long and the poles are 10 feet tall. A flag and pole weigh from 4 to 5 pounds together. With the height and weight of the poles, a larger base had to be made in the cement in order for them to stand upright. This meant that the holes had to be made wider.
Flags could only placed on one side of the street Monday, because not all of the holes had been drilled.
“It is something the community asked for … and they should be really proud (of their accomplishments),” said Susan Valenta, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce.
The cost for the flags and poles was $3,500, the sleeves in the cement were $1,500 and cement work was $8,000. The project cost a total of nearly $13,000. So far, the Downtown Flag Project has received a total of $12,000 from local businesses and supporters – just $1,000 short of the the amount needed.
After all the funds for the project are received, the Gilroy Boy Scouts will maintain and set up the flags. For their time and services, the scouts will receive an estimated $3,000 each year. Some of the money will go toward maintaining the flags, while most of it will go directly to benefit the Boy Scouts. They will use the money for projects and to send boys to summer camp, Livingston said.
For now, the flags are being kept at Signatone Storage during their slumber between holidays. Later, the flags will move into a trailer in a location to be determined.
The flags will be brought out to sway in the wind for eight holidays during the year, including Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, George Washington’s birthday, Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans’ Day and Armed Forces Day.
