No Flags - due to the weather forecast

For those of you that follow my blog, I thought I would fill you in on the rest of the story... On my last post, I had mentioned my disappointment that there were not flags out this year on my birthday, Flag Day. I became more curious, and exercising my new boldness that came along with turning 30, I decided to check into it a little further. After calling the City of Ashland, I was reminded that the flags are actually put out by a volunteer organization, the Kiwanis, not by the city at all. After searching on-line, I came up with an email address for the Ashland Kiwanis and decided to write them a note. Our e-mail correspondence follows;


Hello, my name is Tammie Longiotti. I am writing because I noticed that there were not the usual flags out lining Siskiyou Boulevard this year on June 14th (Flag Day, and also my birthday). I suppose it's possible that I may have simply driven through town too late in the day to have seen them, but it seems that in the past they've always been up past 4pm... anyway, I am mostly curious to find out the reason why for the first time in all my (now 30) years of birthdays that the flags were not out, and am hoping that they will be back again. I missed them. Thank you,Tammie Longiotti (Life long resident of Ashland, Oregon)


A day or so later, I received the following (and satisfying) response;

Hi Tammie, this is Russ Chadick, the flag chairman for the Ashland Kiwanis. I have not seen you in a long time. I am a friend of your mom and dad. Aside from that, about the flags.

The Ashland Kiwanis is a social organization of all volunteers. We attempt to put the flags out on the 10 major holidays each year. We try to follow the "U.S. Flag Code" created in 1942 and amended in 1976.

One of the main points that we keep our eyes open for is the weather. The code states "No flag should be flown during weather that might damage it, including rain and wind."

We watch the newscasts, the paper, and the computer closely each time prior to putting out the flags. If our flags get wet and we then furl them up, they become moldy and we have lost any that that happens to. Since we put out about 250 to 300 flags, it takes about 12 volunteers in teams of 2 -3, each time they go out and it takes about an hour to put them up and another hour to take them down. If it rains just prior to them being taken down, we have a problem.

The weather forecast for June 14th were for 70% chance of rain at 6:00am with 50% chance of showers throughout the day. We put the flags out starting at about 6:30 am and try to take them down somewhere after 5:00 pm. depending on the time of year. Timing varies slightly depending on the volunteers time available. It was my decision the night before, not to put the flags out based upon the weather forecasts. I was very sad the next day that we didn't put them out as the day turned out beautiful.

I hope this explains why they were not out on the 14th, (Happy Birthday by the way) but we are looking forward to having them out for the fourth of July.

Hopefully on next June 14th, your birthday, we can put them out again. And I will think of your birthday.

Sincerely, Russ Chadick


Thank you Mr. Chadick for your email and information about the flags. Yes, that makes absolute sense. I appreciate you taking the time to inform me, and I will pass along your explanation to my family and friends that I had expressed my previous disappointment to. I had run through my head so many possible reasons why our flag would not have been flown on that day, and the weather hadn't even crossed my mind.

The attached photo is of me on my birthday this year, my mom and I were on our way to the Cabaret. My parents are doing well these days. The past year has been a difficult one, with their accident last July (if you hadn't heard, they were hit by a drunk driver at 9:30am on July 31st. My parents were on a motorcycle in Klamath Falls, on their way to see my brother on his birthday and watch his daughter ride in her horse show. Anyway, long story short, my dad was very badly injured, we nearly lost him, but praise God, he has nearly completely recovered from his injuries today). Life is certainly fragile, and not to be taken for granted.

Thanks again for your time today and for hanging our flag.

God Bless,
Tammie Longiotti

P.S. My husband Cory and I are the owners of Ashland Muffler and Welding. A few years back Cory was hired to repair or make new flag holders, I think it was, when someone had apparently filled them with concrete. So, whether it was through Kiwanis or the City, thanks for the business.