Flagging Burlingame Avenue
American flags wave in the wind for Presidents’ Day
The creed of the U.S. Post Office, originally from Herodotus, is, ““Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet, nor hail shall keep the courier [postal worker] from their appointed rounds.” This would certainly apply to Neli Vilchez of Floral Art & Décor and DBID Board member, who with her son and his friends kept the flag-flying tradition on February 19th—Presidents Day. Early on the windy, rainy Monday morning, Neli and her team placed the flags along Burlingame Avenue. In the afternoon, the flags were taken down when the wind kicked up!
The tradition of dressing up Downtown Burlingame with U.S. flags has a history that started in June 2016. In response to an outpour of local residents’ requests, the Downtown Burlingame merchants’ association (DBID) purchased and has flown flags along Burlingame Avenue on major flag-flying national holidays ever since: Presidents Day (February), Memorial Day (May), 4th of July (July) and Veterans Day (Veterans Day).
Jenny Keleher of A Runners Mind and DBID Board Member, and Laurie Hilt, DBID’s Executive Director, have been involved since the beginning and local Boy Scout Troop 128 has helped put in place and taken down the flags at least since 2017. The City of Burlingame Public Works established the parameters within which we would fly flags--put up in morning and take down after sunset (or as advisable). The location of poles is low so as not to present a hazard of people running into them.
Shop-Dine-Play-Relax-Live! Do you have a story? Send it to us at: burlingamebid@gmail.com. The Burlingame Downtown Business Improvement District (DBID) represents over 500 Downtown Burlingame businesses. The Burlingame DBID is a coalition of businesses working together to promote business and civic activity in downtown Burlingame. Merchants include a cross-section of retail, restaurant, professional, and service businesses. For more information, check out https://www.burlingamedowntown.org or email Laurie Hilt, Executive Director, at: burlingamebid@gmail.com.
