A large US flag once again greets motorists entering Salem on West Main Street near I-57.
The original flag was flown from the other side of West Main but was stopped when electricity to light the flag at night was lost.
The new flag is in front of the Welcome to Salem sign on city owned property at West Main and Kinney Boulevard next to the old Pizza Hut.
Salem Tourism Board Chair Leon Chapman says the Main Street Flag Committee is in charge of the 15 by 25 foot flags that will fly from the top of an 80 foot flagpole.
“(The flag committee) is its own separate entity operating on its own,” Chapman said. “It is supported by the Elks Club as one of our projects, but it is not an Elks project alone. Donations from other organizations support it. Tourism, who collect money from the hotel rooms, pay for this pole in its entirety. They also donate money each year to keep flags on it.”
Eddie Mulvaney heads the flag committee.
“We will take care of replacing the flag, bringing it down for half-mast, weather-related issues, things like that,” Mulvaney said.
A team raises the American flag onto the new flagpole. Photo by Bruce Kropp.
The Little Egypt Brass Band played, and the Trail Life Scouts led about the 50 people in attendance in the Pledge of Allegiance.
