Gordon Forgey

The changing flags on Main Street in Colfax have caused quite a stir.

In the past, the local VFW and American Legion posts mounted flags along the main drag in town for patriotic holidays. It was a lot of work. Most of the members were veterans of World War II, and the job of festooning Main with flags got to be too much for them.

Later, Colfax resident Bill Myers voluntarily took over the job. He put the flags up and kept them up. As needed, he would replace them and clean them. It was essentially his own project, but he is no longer doing it.

Now, there is a new plan. American flags will fly at certain times. At other times, to give a welcome to Cougar fans traveling through town, new WSU flags will adorn the street.

This generated some negative comments. Not everyone, it seems, is a Cougar fan, even though the flags brightened Main and gave a festive air. They were a nice touch.

Comments have been abundant. The flags were either the wrong ones or they weren’t flown at the right time. At one point, too, the opinion circulated that any flags detracted from the art banners that decorated the street.

So, in response, the mayor said that if people were willing to donate a school flag and help pay for the project, the city would happily fly a flag from any alma mater.

Ironically, the bare light poles generated little comment and concern. It was only when a new and different idea was tried that people became aroused.

As such, it is a classic municipal project: Nobody cared much about it until something was done by somebody else, and then it wasn’t right.

The city or the chamber of commerce will happily take names of those who wish to help with the project and keep it alive.

This is obviously a time for a little wisdom. A simple solution might to be fly only USC flags and pipe in the Trojan fight song on the public address systems throughout town.

It is hard to imagine anybody complaining about that.

Gordon Forgey

Publisher