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GALLIPOLIS — The Gallipolis Neighborhood Watch recently honored the City of Gallipolis with a very special gift — a gift that will be put to very good use as it flies over the Gallipolis City Justice Center this fall.

During a recent special meeting, members of the Gallipolis Neighborhood Watch presented the Gallipolis City Commission with a flag that was flown in honor of the city over the United States Capitol this past August.

Neighborhood watch member Tony Gallagher, a former resident of Washington, D.C., spoke on behalf of the group and presented the flag to the commission.

“When I was in Washington, D.C., for that 41 years, I knew that you could get a flag that was flown over the United States Capitol, but it had be received through your United States Senator — the only one that can get it for you,” Gallagher said. “So, I contacted Senator Brown on behalf of the neighborhood watch and told him we would like to get a flag.”

Gallagher further stated that he contacted United States Senator Sherrod Brown on behalf of the neighborhood watch and requested that a flag be flown of the Capitol. However, according to Gallagher, the affidavit for the Capitol Flag Program requested that the flag be flown in the name of the person receiving it.

“I wrote back and said, ‘no, this is unacceptable, we have to have it in the name of the City of Gallipolis,’” Gallagher said. “He said he would see what he could do, and he did.”

Gallagher read the certificate signed by the Architect of the Capitol Stephen T. Ayers which authenticates the flag.

“This is to certify that the accompanying flag was flown over the United States Capitol on August 23, 2012, at the request of the honorable Sherrod Brown, United States Senator. This flag was flown for the City of Gallipolis,” Gallagher read.

The Commissioners commented that they were honored to receive the gift, and it would be flown proudly over the new Gallipolis judicial building at 518 Second Avenue.

“We’re honored to give it to you,” Gallagher said. “You guys have always been supportive of the neighborhood watch. We couldn’t ask for any more support than you give us, so we just wanted to say, ‘thank you.’”