Re “Disrespecting the American Flag in Culver City” and “Clarke and City Hall Respond Promptly to Flag Complaint”
Flag Day, normally June 14, came to Culver City six months later this year – thanks, originally, to veterans’ advocate Robert L. Rosebrock, and also to City Councilman Jim Clarke, to Mayor Andy Weissman, to City Manager John Nachbar and, crucially, to patriot-minded members of the Elks Lodge.
There they were, 10 luminous flags, brilliantly billowing toward the skies – less than 72 hours after the seminal complaint was filed.
In this morning’s early bright, drivers along the stretch of Washington Place known as Avenue of the Flags, should have noticed a scenic difference from yesterday morning:
Freshly laundered, beautiful red, white and blue American flags proudly fluttered on both sides of the street amidst the gentle ocean breezes that purify the block housing the flags’ gatekeepers, the Elks Lodge.
How It All Began
Here is a warming story replete with heroes, both visible and out of view, starting with Mr. Rosebrock, an ardent, unyielding patriot who has been a fierce fighter for a panoply of veterans’ rights and core American values for years.
He wrote a story here for Monday’s edition, complaining about the disgraceful condition of the frayed flags in the Elks’ block.
A Santa Barbara friend of Councilman Jim Clarke read the account. He nudged Mr. Clarke to take action. He did. Promptly. He messaged City Manager Nachbar, Public Works Director Charles Herbertson and Mayor Weissman, among others.
All responded with alacrity – Mr. Weissman contacting the Elks and General Manager Red Hardy, Mr. Nachbar greenlighting the replacement work, Mr. Herbertson dispatching his people to the scene.
All, along with very longtime Elk Jim Mullen, not only may but should take deserved bows.
The most harshly frayed flags that arrested Mr. Rosebrock’s vision and attention this week were the red, white and blues toward the westerly end of the block.
Mr. Mullen explained they were the most vulnerable because of meteorological vagaries.
“Those are the flags that get the most wind (from the ocean),” he said. “By contrast, the flags by the trees last longer because the trees block the wind.”
Mr. Mullen explained that the trees are replaced annually, all of them rather than just the damaged ones.
“We try to replace them once a year,” he said. “Sometimes, though, we have to do it twice a year.”
Mr. Hardy, general manager of the Elks, told the newspaper this morning that the multiple flag-flying tradition was introduced many years ago by an Elks member named Wallace Pollaci.
Clearly, it takes a whole village to make a field of flags fly.
