JUNE 11 C RY D E R P O I N T Cryder Point Inaugural Flag Raising is Something to Remember! Veteran and resident Stan Stoller in uniform, 1958 WWW.QNS.COM | JUNE 2017 | CRYDER POINT COURIER 11 BY JILL DAVIS It was the start of a very memorable Memorial Day weekend at noon on Saturday, May 27, when our resident veterans raised Cryder Point’s new flag on the promenade. The 30-foot tall pole was installed in early May, but it seemed appropriate to wait until the holiday weekend to hoist the flag for the very first time. Overall, the weather that day was “meh,” but the sun cooperated long enough to get the job done. Whitney Houston’s rendition of the National Anthem played in the background as the ceremony proceeded, which was attended by more than 50 Cryder Point residents. The atmosphere was filled with patriotic pride, and more than one onlooker wiped away a tear. Thanks go to Jerry Lebowitz and Maxine Schiller who captured the action in these photos. The ceremony was followed by a casual buffet of fruit, cheeses, pastries and beverages. It was a small way for the Board to thank all of our residents for their tremendous patience throughout all of the work that’s been done on the property these past few years. It was a long, messy and often noisy process but happily, the mess is behind us. A few folks asked what prompted the idea to install a flag on the property in the first place. Well, a few months ago, one of our veterans approached Board Vice President Lou Garcia with the idea, and he championed the cause. Of course that led to several questions. For example, preliminary research indicated that quality flag poles can run into big bucks. Early estimates ran up to five figures (gulp), but Property Manager Bill Newell was diligent and found one for $3,000, including installation into a concrete sleeve. Thanks, Bill, good deal! But wait, where should the flag be placed? All agreed it should be on the promenade, but where exactly? Aesthetically, it seemed best to center the pole directly opposite the gate to the dock and be positioned a few feet inside the courtyard so as not to interfere with the new path where the benches are. Louie Memishi laid pavers to form a short walkway from the path to the pole for easy accessibility, and he did a really fine job. Thanks Louie! For those wondering whether the flag will be removed each evening and raised the next morning, the answer is no, particularly because the flag must be properly folded whenever it is removed, and that takes a good bit of time. The flag will remain raised (except when severe weather is forecast in time for removal), and proper protocol requires that the flag be lit at night. So a dedicated solar light is installed on the pole to ensure that our new flag will wave brightly and proudly each evening over Cryder Point. On behalf of all your friends and neighbors at Cryder Point, let me convey our deepest thanks again to our veterans for your service to our country. We hope that each of you will enjoy the flag most of all.
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