TheBakersfieldCalifornian.com

Public displays of patriotism are important to Randy Fendrick. He puts out his flag on the Fourth of July and Memorial Day, makes sure he votes in every election and served in the Navy for three years, 10 months and 11 days.

So Fendrick, who also taught history for 25 years, has been none too happy about the tattered condition of the U.S. flag flying at the western entrance to Hart Park.

He’s been seeing it pretty much every day on his drive to town from his home in the area of the old Rio Bravo tennis courts.

“It looks like one used in the battle of Iwo Jima in 1945, or even the battle of New Orleans in 1814,” he quipped to The Californian in an e-mail.  “The problem with those theories is, it is a 50-star flag. Hopefully someone at the county, when they lower it tonight, will notice that it is in shreds and put in a work order for a new one.

“I know the budget of the city, county and state is in bad shape, but this is absurd.”

Fendrick’s son called the county Parks and Recreation Department and its director, Bob Lerude, said Tuesday the flag was being replaced.

The fact it wasn’t done sooner is, in fact, a symptom of county budget woes, he said.

With fewer people around — and because the flag is no longer taken down at night because a light for it was installed — nobody in Parks and Rec noticed the flag’s condition, Lerude said.

The department usually fills 35 extra-help positions each summer, for example, but this year couldn’t afford the hires, he said. On top of that, Lerude got the OK Tuesday to lay off nine employees.

As a result, he said, people should expect at department facilities dirtier bathrooms, less trash pickup, lawns allowed to grow longer and some recreation halls being closed.

But the department “welcomes calls” about such issues as deteriorating flags and will address them, Lerude said.