Ceremony honors completion of Corning Veterans Hall's new flag pole project

Oct. 9—During a walk through town one day, resident Jerry Lequia walked past the billowing flag at the Corning Veterans Memorial Hall building on the corner of Houghton Avenue and Solano Street.

"I noticed that while the flag was flying beautifully, the pole it was on was in terrible condition," Lequia.

He took his concerns to the Corning City Council. That concern and effort on Lequia's part opened the way for the community to join forces in purchasing a new flag pole.

The flagpole project has been going on for a couple of years with $20,000 donated by the community to purchase the new aluminum pole, remove the old one, create the new base and installation of the new pole, all under the direction of Blankenship, John Leach, a member of the American Legion, Ron Sanders a member of Disabled American Veterans, and Jerry Lequia representing the community.

The success of that project was celebrated on Saturday, Sept. 29 when local veterans' posts honored the individuals, businesses, clubs and organizations that donated time, work, and money to the project.

Following the singing of the National Anthem by Jennifer and Maura Ferguson, a prayer by VFW Chaplain Dennis Wyman, presentation of the colors by the Corning Veterans Honor Guard, Blankenship of the VFW, welcomed all in attendance and explained how the project came about and the support from the community that made it happen.

Presenting plaques of recognition and appreciation was Lequia, Blankenship, Mike Taylor, Sanders, John Leach and Mike Sechrist.

The Ramona Williams' family was presented a plaque for donating money to the cause. While presenting the honor, Leach said Williams, the mother of Bob and Charlie Williams, graduated with her eighth-grade class on the veterans hall's stage in 1959.

Also presented plaques for monetary donations were Vesper Masonic Lodge #84, the Tehama County Realtors Association, Corning Chamber of Commerce, and Corning Volunteer Fire Department.

Renae Beckley and Penny Blanchard of Interland Business received recognition for a monetary donation as well as providing services from their business.

Jennifer Ferguson, a Pacific Gas and Electricity Company employee, was given a plaque in recognition of the utility company donating its time and equipment to take the old flag pole down and raising the new aluminum pole up.

Walberg Demolition and Excavation owners, Jamie and Bud Walberg, were presented a plaque for the company's financial, labor, equipment and supply donations.

Mike Smith and Jace Blankenship who spent two full days placing the commemorative bricks around the base of the new flagpole received a plaque, as did Foothill Ready Mix for donating concrete.

Tom White and his daughter, Sarah Hill, who dedicated their time constructing the cement base and placing multi-colored military branch seals at the bottom of the flag pole, received a plaque as well.

"Everything looks beautiful," Blankenship said.

Because the Veterans Hall is Tehama County property, the county's Board of Supervisors had to approve of the project and all its components and donations of labor.

When the project began and the old pole and base were removed, it was guaranteed to the veterans' posts that the dedicatory plaque stating "Dedicated to American Veterans" would be reinstalled — and it has been.

It was around this base and dedicatory plaque the ceremony concluded with everyone singing God Bless America, display of the red, white and blue that will be flown on the pole and a closing prayer by Wyman.

The flag pole is just one project being conducted for the 88-year-old, 9,000 square-foot historic building, which is in need of more than $6.4 million in repairs.

Tehama County Board of Supervisors has earmarked $1 million in Rescue Act Funds to the project, and Congressman Doug LaMalfa secured $2 million in federal funding for repairs.