Arlington Hts. Park District apologizes for leaving flag on ground

An American flag was left on ground for most of Tuesday after construction workers renovating a park in Arlington Heights removed the pole without detaching the flag.

It was a mistake, said Brian Huckstadt, director of parks and planning for the Arlington Heights Park District.

"We weren't aware of this," he said. "The contractor was supposed to fold up the flag and give it to me. I'm going to pick it up right now."

Memorial Park dates back to 1925 and is located at Chestnut and Fremont streets in the neighborhood just west of the Arlington Heights Memorial Library. The park includes a Civil War monument erected by veterans themselves in 1925 and hadn't been upgraded since 1969.

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A few months ago, work began to replace the park's uneven paths and deteriorating memorials with light poles, benches and engraved bricks in a new central plaza.

Huckstadt said he will hold on to the newly retrieved flag until the renovation is complete.

If the flag is in good condition, it will return to the park. If not, Huckstadt will turn it over it to the American Legion and put up a new flag, he said.

"No one is more respectful of the American flag than the park district," he said. "We have a flag display right here at North School Park. If we would've known (it was on the ground), we would've picked it up right away."