Flag Holiday

Did you know that today was a Flag holiday - a day when U.S. Flags and State Flags in Illinois were to be lowered to half-staff?

If you didn't, you had a lot of company!

This morning I noticed the U.S. Flag at Verda Dierzen Early Learning Center was flying at half-staff. When I called District 200 to ask the reason, I learned that the Flag had been lowered upon order of Gov. Blagojevich to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. , who died 40 years ago today.

I continued on to the McHenry County Government Administration Building at 667 Ware Road, where I saw that the U.S. Flag had not been lowered. Upon entering, I asked the security officers if they would check with Operations to determine why the Flag had not been lowered. As I left about 20 minutes later, I asked what they had learned and was told that no one knew that the Flag was supposed to be lowered. Peter Austin, County Administrator, quickly rectified the situation.

I had a few extra minutes this morning, and I drove by City Hall, where the Flag was flying proudly at the top of the flagpole. Then by Woodstock High School (above), where the Flag was flying at full mast. And then by Dean Street School, where the Flag was at half-staff. Apparently, some in D200 got the message; others did not.

Later in the day I noticed U.S. flags flying at full-staff in Crystal Lake, Barrington Hills and South Barrington and at many businesses.

At www.illinois.gov was the governor's message that U.S. and Illinois flags should be flown at half-staff until sunset today. Businesses can sign up for notification of official flag-lowering days by going to www.illinois.gov/news/flaghonors.cfm