Paid for by Citizens for Colburn Committee. Authority John W. Phillips, Jr., Treasurer

Colburn visits Vienna Elementary, presents new Md. Flag
By CHRIS LAVENDER
Staff Writer - Star Democrat
September 13, 2005

Sen. Richard Colburn, R-37-Mid-Shore, instructs fifth grade students at Vienna Elementary on how to hang the Maryland State Flag on the hooks after presenting the school with a new flag Friday afternoon. From left, Laura Bennett, Emily Biskach, David Dechert and Tommy Gebert help hang the flag under Colburn’s direction as other students watch.

VIENNA — Sen. Richard Colburn, R-37-Mid-Shore, visited with Vienna Elementary School students Friday afternoon and presented to the school a new Maryland flag, which was hoisted up the school’s flagpole.

VES third, fourth and fifth grade students welcomed Colburn to their school on Friday. In unison about 100 students said “Welcome to Vienna.”

Colburn replied, “Good afternoon to all of you.”

During his visit, Colburn gave the students coloring books, emphasized the importance of reading daily, shared his life experiences and talked about the Maryland General Assembly.

“I went to Oxford Elementary School,” Colburn said. He added he graduated from Easton High School in 1968 and later served in the U.S. Army.

Colburn also said he is Federalsburg’s town manager and explained to the students how a bill becomes a law in the general assembly. He also answered the student’s questions during his visit Friday.

Several students asked him “what do you do,” and “do you like your job.” Colburn replied “a job is not hard if you like it.”

As he spoke to the students, Colburn also held and displayed a Maryland flag which he presented to the students.

“By far it’s the prettiest state flag,” Colburn said. “When you see this flag, you know it’s a Maryland flag.” He later explained Maryland flags are made by prison inmates in the state.

During his visit, he also encouraged the students to read every day.

“I read five newspaper dailies every day,” Colburn said. “It is always good to read. You can do anything if you put your mind to it.”

Colburn said he was going to try and visit as many schools in his district during the annual program “legislature back to school days.”

VES principal Linda Wilson joined Colburn and the students outside the school Friday to raise the Maryland flag on the school’s flagpole.

The students formed a circle around the flagpole as Colburn watched the Maryland flag being raised. Wilson said the American Legion in Hurlock recently donated an American flag to the school.

“On Monday we will have two new flags,” Wilson said.