Homeowners on one of Boise’s historic streets donate money to hang Memorial Day flags
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Memorial Day in Idaho
It’s Memorial Day weekend! Here is where you will find things to do, tributes and more ways to mark this holiday celebration of our military and those who gave their lives in service of our county.
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As Memorial Day approaches, more and more flags are popping up around homes and residential neighborhoods throughout the state. Soon to join the tradition is Warm Springs Avenue, tracing one of Boise’s historic neighborhoods.
Homeowners paired with local organizations to fund the Warm Springs Avenue Flag Project, which will hang flags on street lights from Mobley Street to the Pioneer Cemetery to celebrate Memorial Day, along with other holidays such as Independence Day, Flag Day, Labor Day and Veterans Day. This year, the flags were put up Thursday morning and will fly steadily through Veterans Day.
“The purpose of this flag project is not to endorse one political candidate or party over another,” Lori Talboy, the Warm Springs Flag Project manager, said in a news release. “It is meant to serve as a reminder of those brave soldiers, past and present, who have served to keep our country protected. It is meant to honor our present first responders and health care providers, who have worked tirelessly to keep our country healthy, during the COVID pandemic. It is meant to honor our country and state, both are deserving of our loyalty.”
Of the money raised for the program, Warm Springs Avenue homeowners raised over $5,800 in donations. An additional $3,000 came from a city of Boise grant.
The Todd and Cassy Lindsey family, who live on the street, were the ones who kickstarted the project back in 2020 with a donation to purchase flag brackets. According to Talboy, they were also the ones who started a similar project by the North End Neighborhood Association, which has been hanging up flags along Harrison Boulevard for Memorial Day, Veterans Day and the Fourth of July for about 20 years.
“She just asked if there was anybody interested in getting flags on the Avenue,” Talboy told the Statesman by phone. “And I thought, well, we had talked about doing that in 2016, (but) it didn’t go through, so maybe that’s something I can at least investigate.”
The Lindsey family weren’t the only ones in favor of the project. Surveys completed by WSA homeowners show that there was a 93% approval rating in favor of the flag project, according to the news release.
Additional supporters include the Warm Springs Historic District Association and the East End Neighborhood Association.
With the project being two years in the making, Talboy expressed her appreciation for the community’s support in light of obstacles brought forth by the pandemic.
“Even during COVID when things kind of fell apart, it always seemed like somebody came forward and took over the job or helped out with the job,” Talboy said. “I can’t tell you how much they did help me, they were all so good about helping. So it was just, in that regard, it was easy. I always had good people.”
Aside from displaying the flags as a means to celebrate an important holiday in the United States, Talboy hopes the flags will also serve to remind others to drive safely when passing through the street.
“It’s such a high-traffic area,” Talboy said. “They do realize it’s residential, but I still think that the speed limit is so fast … I don’t know that flags are really going to decrease the speed of drivers, but maybe they’ll slow down a little bit to take notice of the flag.”
The flags on Warm Spring Avenue will fly from May 25 to Veterans Day in November while the program finalizes a memorandum of agreement with the city. The North End Neighborhood Association will also be flying flags along Harrison Boulevard for Memorial Day weekend.
“The design of having a star for each state on the flag signifies a United States. That’s the goal we as individual citizens should work towards — being united,” Talboy wrote in an email to the Statesman.
This story was originally published May 27, 2022 at 4:00 AM.
