Turlock is looking a lot more patriotic these days — and it’s not just because of the Memorial Day weekend. Old Glory can be seen flying in front of businesses, organizations and homes throughout Turlock — 315 of them in fact.

In March, the Turlock City Council adopted the 1,000 Flag Initiative with the goal of having a thousand Stars and Stripes flying around town by Veterans Day (Nov. 11). As of Friday, 315 flags were registered through the City of Turlock as being a part of the initiative.

"The initiative has turned out better than I thought. The official start of the 1,000 American flag challenge wasn't supposed to start until Memorial Day, but we already have 315 flags registered. The corridors along Countryside Drive, Main Street and the Joe Gallison Parkway turned out better than I thought, and that's because our staff put so much planning into the initiative's rollout,” said Soiseth.
"I encourage all residents and businesses to register their flags this weekend. Our gratitude for our veterans will be shown with every new flag that is flown. I'll be registering my own flag on Memorial Day and I hope our community far exceeds our goal of 1,000 American flags by the upcoming Veterans Day."

The three Council-designated flag corridors are: Main Street, between Palm and Lander; Canal Drive along the Joe Gallison Parkway; and Countryside Drive, between Fulkerth and Monte Vista.

Flags are already flying along Canal Drive and Main Street, but the Countryside Drive corridor is being delayed while the City looks into displaying banners featuring active military personnel alongside the American flags at that location, according to Amber Traini with the City’s Parks and Recreation Department.

Along with encouraging residents to register their American flags through the City’s website, the City is also accepting donations to purchase flags for those who cannot afford to get one on their own. City staff will help install flags for businesses or residents if needed, said Traini.

The City’s website also offers United States flag etiquette and a list of fire station locations around town where tattered or torn flags can be dropped off for proper disposal.

For more information about the 1,000 Flag Initiative, visit: http://ci.turlock.ca.us/1000flags/index.asp