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53 °F Forecast | Road Cams Sunday, November 14, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend November 12, 2004 Vandals slow flag-raising in Ashland By BILL CHOY Mail Tribune ASHLAND — Members of the Ashland Kiwanis Club got a rude Veterans Day wake-up call Thursday morning when they discovered vandals had put gravel and wet cement into 65 flag holders on Siskiyou Boulevard. Mike Bakke, treasurer for the club and co-chairman of the flag committee, said 56 of the holders were connected to street lights in the middle of the boulevard, with the rest at local businesses such as Safeway and the Stratford Inn. The vandalized flag holders were discovered around 6:30 a.m. The group was still able to put up more than 200 flags throughout the rest of town early Thursday to commemorate Veterans Day. For Bakke, a Vietnam veteran, the vandalism was hard to take on a day that honors veterans. "I was near tears because of the anger I felt," he said. "It’s just not right." Advertisement Bakke said while he had no way to know the vandals’ motivation, he wouldn’t be surprised if it were a political statement. "There’s other venues," he said. "They don’t have to be destructive. When veterans get a hold of this, they are going to be upset. ... If whoever did this has a problem, they need to get over it and move on. It shouldn’t be done this way." Word spread quickly about the vandalism, and about 20 community members and city workers came to help clean up the mess. Carrying screwdrivers and hammers, they were able to get out the still wet cement and gravel from the flag holders, with Kiwanis members following closely behind putting in the flags. Wearing a suit and tie, Dave Whitney, director of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Institute of Religion on Siskiyou Boulevard, was one of the workers. "I was frustrated when I heard what happened," he said. "I wanted to do something to counteract this vandalism." Steven Burgess of Ashland, who served in the military in the mid-1970s, said he wanted to help out so the flags could be displayed on Veterans Day. "I love this flag and country, and this is a pathetic way of protest," he said. "This is so childish and not the way to do it." Bakke said it meant a lot to him to see the show of support from the community. "It’s awesome," he said. "It’s wonderful to see this outpouring of patriotism." A handful of women and children from White City and Medford waved American flags, cheering on those cleaning the flag holders on Siskiyou Boulevard. Janette Rawcliffe of Medford brought her two small children along. When she heard about the vandalism on the radio, she wanted to do something, she said. "I brought them out to show them the flag is a symbol of our country," Rawcliffe said. "It was the least we could do to come out here and show support." She said she believes in freedom of speech, but felt what was done was not the way to do it. "If you believe in something, show your face," Rawcliffe said. "If you want to protest, that’s fine, but don’t hide in the night." This was not the first time vandals have struck the flag holders, Bakke said. On July 4, Kiwanis Club volunteers discovered gravel had been put into flag holders in the middle of the boulevard, which they were able to take out. While the club notified police about the July incident, members decided not to file a complaint, he said. The Kiwanis Club does plan to press charges this time, Bakke said. Bill Choy is a reporter for the Mail Tribune and the Ashland Daily Tidings. Reach him at 482-3456. Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities