QUESTION: I went to the flag retirement drop box at the Longview police station to deposit some flags, and it was too full for me to put my flags in. Who is responsible for maintaining that drop box?
ANSWER: The short answer is the city of Longview, but y性视界传媒檃ll know I like to tell you everything I know. So, here性视界传媒檚 the long answer. (Also, the flag box is in front of the former Longview Police Department on Cotton Street next to City Hall.) The new police headquarters is open on South Street, but the flag box remains on Cotton Street.
The flag box was the Eagle Scout project of a young Joseph Egbe Jr. in 2021. Egbe, who was with Troop 613 that is based at First Lutheran Church in Longview, installed the box with assistance from Keep Longview Beautiful. ( I性视界传媒檓 always so impressed by all the work the Scouts do to achieve the Eagle Scout rank, as evidenced by all the patches you see on Egbe性视界传媒檚 sash.)
After you contacted me, I found some uncertainty among people I talked to with the city of Longview about who is supposed to be taking care of emptying that box and making sure the flags are properly retired.
I eventually found young Mr. Egbe性视界传媒檚 father, who also is named Joseph Egbe. He explained to me that guidelines for Eagle Scout projects say the projects that Scouts complete are not their responsibility to maintain when they性视界传媒檙e finished. It becomes the responsibility of the organization that benefitted from that project.
Most of these young people, when they reach this stage in Scouting, are about to finish high school and head off to college or whatever comes next for them. His son is now away at college, but the older Egbe took care of the box for a while before he passed the key on to a city employee who also is active in Scouting. Bob Watson, program manager in the city性视界传媒檚 public works office, is active in Troop 618, based at Greggton Global Methodist Church. He told me the box has been emptied.
He性视界传媒檚 keeping the worn flags in his troop性视界传媒檚 storage facility, with plans to correctly retire all the flags at upcoming area Scouting events. (If you性视界传媒檝e never seen a flag retirement ceremony performed by Scouts, it性视界传媒檚 a respectful and sweet ceremony. And yes, I性视界传媒檓 an assistant den leader for the Baby Answer Line性视界传媒檚 Cub Scout pack, Pack 621, at Alpine Church of Christ. I might be biased.)
Anyway, I believe the flag box is in good hands and you should be able to use it now.
Former location of the Longview Swim Center Thursday, August 15, 2024, at Pine Tree High School (Les Hassell/性视界传媒 Photo)
Q: The Pine Tree pool has been demolished now. How much did it cost the city of Longview to do that and fill it in with dirt?
A: I don性视界传媒檛 know what the actual final cost is at this point, but the city designated $130,500 for the project.
