This story was updated Monday, March 12 to give proper credit to John Winther for his efforts to raise the new flag flying over Larchmont.
There’s a brand new flag flying over Larchmont Blvd., in the City parking lot next to the Rotary clock, thanks to a donation from a longtime resident of the neighborhood and the Larchmont Boulevard Association.
In February, Eric Dortch told the Buzz he’d purchased a new 5’ x 8 ‘ and a 4’ x 6 ‘ US American-made flag replace “the barely recognizable flag currently dangling from the pole.”
Dortch gave the flag to his friend and local realtor, Janet Loveland. She, in turn contacted John Winther, President of the Larchmont Boulevard Association and manager of the Larchmont Coldwell Banker office, who ended up spending countless hours organizing the logistics required to raise the new flag.
“I had no idea it would be so complicated,” said Winther who also had to arrange for repairs of the wires, broken from the last flag-raising and tried to bring the LA High School band to play at the flag-raising.
Nonetheless, on Friday afternoon with the help of Cub Scout Pack 16 and Boy Scout Troop 10 and before a crowd of about twenty-five local dignitaries including City Council member David Ryu, and members of the Larchmont Boulevard Association and the Larchmont Business Improvement District (BID), the brand new flag was raised and the old flag, which was raised in a similar ceremony almost to the month two years ago by local Girl Scouts, was appropriately retired.
“Hopefully the folks who walk by everyday will take notice and appreciate the fact that someone took the time to do something about it,” wrote Dortch.
And we hope they will also appreciate the efforts of folks like John Winther and others who took the time to respectfully raise the new flag for our community street. We offer a salute to all!
In case you missed it, you can view the raising ceremony below.
