Dear Neighbor,
Holy-moly…we’ve got ALL of the flags! Tomorrow, June 19th, we honor Juneteenth. Check it out.
In March, Mayor Chess recognized St. Patrick’s Day in March, Haitian Independence Day in May, Pride Month in June, and on Friday, while offices will be closed to honor the federal holiday, the flag will boldly fly atop the flagpole at Town Hall to honor, remember, and reflect on the plight of the enslaved people and their descendants.
Recently, I saw a Facebook comment (or rather a few) which questioned why even raise a flag…or if we [Stratford Town] raises a flag for Pride Month, say, then we should raise one for “all”, including Memorial Day and the 4th of July. I hope you will spend time reading Luz’s piece about flags. The raising of flags, no matter the month or time of year, honors the plight of a group of people, recognizes a collective struggle, and forces us to see the flag as a symbol of community.
This week, please take some time to get to know our community a bit better, whether it’s heading over to Town Hall to see the Juneteenth flag, or reading Andy’s article on Neighborhood Meetings, or better understanding the theater community and taking a look at Tom Holehan’s review of Sweeney Todd.
Wherever you start, please remember that hope is a discipline and community takes practice.
