FLYING HIGH: Flag Day is a great...

FLYING HIGH: Flag Day is a great day for Old Glory, but not necessarily for flag sellers. Americans bought thousands during the Persian Gulf War, but they don’t buy many when Flag Day, which is celebrated Monday, rolls around. “Most of the people who have flags will fly them. I don’t think they go out and buy a flag just for Flag Day,” said Marin Filip, manager of Nationwide Outdoor Display in Van Nuys. But before Old Glory, other flags flew over California--Spanish, Mexican and even Russian. See Valley Briefing (B2).

MARCH FOR JESUS: More than 2,500 evangelical and charismatic Christians took to the streets of Santa Clarita on Saturday, marching for two miles as they sang hymns of praise (B1). . . . The March for Jesus, as the combination parade/prayer service was called, was also held in 350 other cities and 45 countries. The idea was born in England in 1987 and brought to the United States three years later.

SUPERMARKET SAFETY: Robbery victims have turned their moments of terror into a political quest. . . . Clerks and cashiers are urging state lawmakers to require tighter security measures in markets and drugstores (B1). Grocers say it will cost too much--up to $40 million statewide to install surveillance cameras and silent alarms. About 17,000 commercial robberies were reported in California in 1991.

BUS STOP: A surprise inspection by California Highway Patrol officers uncovered some unpleasant surprises in school buses that had ferried students to Six Flags Magic Mountain for an evening of fun. . . . Inspectors found problems--from bad brakes to poor lighting--on 24 buses (B1). Ten buses were immediately grounded, forbidden to leave the parking lot because they were unsafe or their drivers unfit.

Flag Sales

The flag industry in the United States had a banner year in 1991 due to the Persian Gulf War which sparked a wave of patriotism. 1991: $500 million 1992: $80 million 1993: $100 million Source: National Independent Flag Dealers Assn.