do you dispose of a tattered American flag?

H ow

[Editor’s Note: So, the proper way to dispose of a retired flag, according to the U.S. Flag Code, is: “The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.” Which I know sounds a little odd, but that’s how you do it. It should be a solemn ceremony, not like a “Woo hoo, I’m burin’ the flag!” kind of thing. True story: Back in 6th grade, my friend Robert and I were selected to spend a whole six-weeks grading period to be the Phelix Elementary School flag crew, charged with putting up the state and national flags each morning and taking them down each day. Since Robert was a Boy Scout, he took this job very seriously, and we did the formal flag-folding and everything daily. One time, we dropped the flag and Robert said we needed to burn it, but our principal made the executive decision that we would just “let it slide” this one time, sort of like a “five second rule” but for flags. Speaking of the Boy Scouts, our local troop actually collects tattered flags and occasionally holds flag-burning ceremonies if you’d like to have them take care of yours. I used to have their contact info, but I can’t seem to find it. I will take this opportunity to give them a little shout-out. This Saturday, Pack 172 will be washing cars from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Marion Fire Station on Military Road. It’s free, but donations are welcome. You could drop by, get your car washed and give them your flag] I know this has been said before but someone desperately needs to do something about the trains stopping on the tracks and blocking the roads. I don’t mean just going slow which is its own problem but there has got to be a way to just NOT stop on the intersections. Some day some one is going to die because the ambulance can not get to the hospital because a train is blocking the tracks! [Editor’s Note: You don’t specify a particular railroad crossing here, but I will say that the long-in-the-works overpass behind the Marion Walmart is (eventually) going to alleviate that dilemma for those living in the northeast communities of Marion, like River Trace, Riverwest and Delta Acres. If you mean somewhere else, I don’t know what could be done. It’s especially problematic on College Boulevard and at the Service Road-Highway 77 intersection. A train blocking those spots can add several minutes to your trip and like you say, in a life-or-death situation where every second counts, that’s not good at all. Unfortunately, there seems to be no repercussions for the railroads for blocking these roads for long periods of time, which is definitely illegal. I remember both County Judge Woody Wheeless and Sheriff Mike Allen attempting to tackle this issue years ago, but they had no luck]