Thread: Flag flap: Caltrans sorry, Old Glory repainted

Flag flap: Caltrans sorry, Old Glory repainted
Henry K. Lee, Chronicle Staff Writer


Caltrans apologized today for painting over a large American flag mural on a hillside above Interstate 680 just four days before the Fourth of July.

The 40-foot-wide flag near the Sunol Grade, created by three men the week after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, was covered in gray paint Wednesday by a Caltrans crew after the agency declared it to be graffiti.

The move sparked outrage and prompted an apology from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. On Saturday, two men not involved in creating the original flag, James Gallagher and Steve Giordano, spent 12 hours painting a new Old Glory in time for Independence Day.

Caltrans is going to let this flag mural remain, at least for now, agency spokesman Matt Rocco said.

"Caltrans regrets the removal of the (first) flag mural," Rocco said. "The department will work with the artists and local community to discuss the department's current permitting process for transportation art with the goal of placing another mural at a suitable location."

The new mural's fate will be "part of the conversation that will take place this week" at a meeting with the original and new artists, Rocco said.

One of the painters of the first flag, 35-year-old R.J. Waldron of Concord, said today that Caltrans "kind of got mud on their face. They're making good now. It really was poor timing on their part."

Giordano, 44, said he drove 100 miles from his home in Valley Springs (Calaveras County), intent on painting a new flag, after hearing that the mural had been painted over.

"They desecrated a memorial for 9/11. It upset me so bad," Giordano said. "I felt strongly to do something about it."

Gallagher had the same idea, and the two men met for the first time at the mural site at 1:30 p.m. Saturday. They labored until 1:30 a.m. Sunday, working into the night by flashlight.

"We decided that we weren't going to stop until it was done," Gallagher said. "It was important that the flag was flying on the Fourth of July."

Gallagher, 43, of Pleasant Hill said it was ironic that state workers would paint over the Stars and Stripes. "The flag is constantly under attack in the state of California," he said.

E-mail Henry K. Lee at hlee@sfchronicle.com.



Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c ... z0sySvA7hh

Thanks. That is good news and I know I need it. It was good to finally see a photo too.