Recently members of the Ferriday Garden Club had two 25-foot poles erected on either side of the welcome signs at the north and south ends of Ferriday.

The poles will fly the American flag and the Louisiana state flag in honor of the veterans of all armed services, our local authorities and the memory of all war veterans.

The 45 flags sold by the club will honor or memorialize loved ones in our area. The flags will fly in the park behind a Blue Star memorial marker and will feature the flags that flew over Louisiana throughout its history.

Eighth-graders at Ferriday Junior High School are researching histories of the flags and will present to FGC the results of this study.

Mrs. Charlotte White’s third-graders at Huntington School may enter a flag poster contest that will be judged by the FGC. Both classes will present programs about the flags at an upcoming club meeting in 2007.

For Arbor Day in January, patriotic trees will be planted to honor our state, parish and local authorities for their efforts in making our community a safe and pleasant place to live.

Trees will be planted around the area of the park and in front of the crape myrtle trees that were planted years ago by the FGC.

The Ferriday Garden Club owes a debt of appreciation to all those who have helped in the park project, including the Concordia Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Town of Vidalia. Both agencies managed the erection of the flagpoles from start to finish.

This pole and flag placement is the first phase of the project. Citizens are urged to watch the welcome signs of more progress.