Town officials present new flags to State

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Thursday, June 26, 2014 - Governor Patrick joins legislators, organized labor, business leaders and worker advocates at the State House to sign S. 2195, “An Act Restoring the Minimum Wage and Providing Unemployment Insurance Reforms," a landmark bill that gradually raises the minimum wage to $11 over three years, lowers unemployment insurance (UI) costs for employers across the state, strengthens safety protections for workers and makes permanent the multi-agency task force charged with combatting the underground economy. — Photo by Eric Haynes

As of Thursday, June 26, the newly designed town flags of West Tisbury, Aquinnah, and Edgartown hang proudly at the State House in Boston. This June marked the 20th anniversary of the State House’s flag program, which allows the banners of nearly all towns across the Commonwealth to fly in the prestigious Great Hall of Flags.

Town officials James Neville, Matt Montanile, and Adam Wilson traveled to the state’s capital to present the flags to Governor Deval Patrick, Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo, and Representative Tim Madden. Mr. Neville’s brothers, John Neville and Matthew Malone, and his father, Jack Neville, and supervisor of the Dukes County Community Corrections Center startup, Pamerson Ifill, were also in attendance.

The seven Island residents also witnessed the minimum wage bill signing ceremony in the Nurses Hall after presenting the flags, which now stand among over 350 other town flags, including those of Oak Bluffs and Tisbury.