Presents
Your Lockport Home Page has received a number
of stories relating to local display of the flag since the September 11th terror attack
against America. Some are inspirational and feel good to read. Others are
sad. They represent our usual attempts to show a cross-section of Lockport and
Lockportians.
We welcome submissions from our readers.
Our first story not only tells a story about our flag, but of one of our favorite Lockport institutions.
One of our nieces, Catherine, has 3 children - in order of age: Nicholas (Grade 2), Brandon (Kindergarten) and Casey Jane (Pre-school). For quite a while they have been enchanted with looking at an atlas and learning all about the flags of various states and nations.
A few days ago Casey saw all the flags out on their street and started pestering her Mom for a flag. She and Mom had gone to City Hall to pay their water bill and, when they entered, Casey was awe-struck by the display of flags. "Oh look, Mom, there's the American flag - and there's the New York State flag - and there's the United Nations flag!" Many people were amazed at the way this 4-year-old was rattling off her knowledge!
Catherine decided that they had better get a flag! They went to 4 stores but no luck! Casey got sadder and sadder. As a last resort they tried Grimbles, a small hardware store in downtown Lockport. It has survived the appearance on the scene of Home Depot and Wal-Mart. Thank God!
Anyway, when they walked in, the clerk took one look and said "I bet
you're looking for a flag?" "Sorry, we're all sold out." At this Casey
Jane's face must have sagged in disappointment. The clerk took one look and said,
"Just a minute - I do have one out in my truck that I was saving for someone special
and you are obviously the one to have it." He went out and got the flag and gave it
to Casey Jane, who beamed in delight. When Catherine asked him how much it was, he said'
Nothing! Her smile was quite enough to pay for it."
Have You Seen Our Flag Memorial Pictorial?
Click Here
On September 12th my mother had her beautiful flag which she purchased for this past Fourth of July flying proudly on her front porch on the north side of Lockport. When she woke up the next morning, she discovered someone had stolen her flag, bracket and all. She was very disturbed by this, as you can imagine.
She telephoned the American Legion and spoke to someone there about her flag being stolen. She told them that my late father had been a member and a veteran of World War II, serving in Europe for close to four years.
They were sympathetic to her and within a half hour someone from the Legion was at her house with a new flag. They did not want to take any money for the flag. I just wanted to pass this on to you.
Linda
The home of Jim and Lisa Budde at 29 Ambleside Drive in Carlisle Gardens is a picture of patriotism. And why not? Jim is a former City of Lockport alderman and Lisa is the daughter of longtime Lockport Mayor, Tom Rotondo.
We understand the Budde family home is illuminated quite attractively at night. That's a photo shoot our digital camera is not able to do justice to.
The home of the former Lockport-owned and operated
newspaper is now a pile of debris. The former Union-Sun & Journal
Building at Summit and South Transit has been razed by Benderson Development which wants
to build a drug store here.
But still standing is the flag pole put up by the Corson Family---the former local owners. The United States flag, was faded but still clinging to the pole on Sunday, 9/23 when these pictures were taken. (You can just notice it in the picture at left.)
The newspaper itself still exists, at least in name, even though control has been transferred to a southern corporation and the daily management is out of Niagara Falls and the printing is out of North Tonawanda. A small Lockport staff, a whisper of what used to work here, now holds up in rented quarters on East Avenue.
Residents are concerned about what will become of this once-classy piece of real estate.
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THE PICTURE OF LOCKPORT