Waitsburg Flagpole Goes Dark

WAITSBURG – Last April, a group of veterans stood outside the Waitsburg Hardware store and proudly saluted as they raised brand new United States and Waitsburg flags on the pole on the corner of Main Street and Preston Avenue. Today, the flagpole stands bare due to a defective light fixure.

American Legion Post #35 Finance Officer Cindy Standring said the flags had to be removed, because the light fixture, which is located in the sidewalk is no longer working.

According to the US Flag Code, American flags should be displayed from sunrise to sunset. Lowering the flag at night is a sign of respect. However, flags may fly 24-hours if they are properly illuminated during all hours of darkness.

Standring said the Legion is considering setting out cans to help raise funds to repair or replace the defunct light fixture, but said she didn't know what the cost would be.

City Administrator Randy Hinchliffe said the city has replaced everything they can get to and that the light still doesn't work.

"To fix it would require us to tear up the pavers to figure out what is actually wrong with it. We will probably end up doing something different over there that attaches to the pole rather than in ground," he said.