Let patriotism shine bright

As I drive through Roseville neighborhoods at night, I am heartened to see so many American flags proudly displayed outside local homes. This visible patriotism is wonderful, but it often comes with an unintended oversight: Many of these flags are left completely in the dark. I am deeply disappointed that such a basic U.S. flag protocol is overlooked, particularly in this year of our 250th anniversary. According to the official U.S. Flag Code, it is the universal custom to display the flag only from sunrise to sunset. However, the code explicitly states that the flag may be displayed 24 hours a day if it is "properly illuminated during the hours of darkness." Leaving our national symbol hanging in pitch-black conditions contradicts the very respect we intend to show it. Proper lighting does not require an expensive setup; a simple solar-powered spotlight or a dedicated porch light is enough to keep the flag rightfully visible. If we choose to fly the stars and stripes to honor our country, let's take the extra step to do it correctly. If you cannot illuminate your flag at night, please consider bringing it indoors at sunset. Let's ensure our patriotism shines bright, even after the sun goes down. Alan Greene Roseville Grateful for Bosch, legislation Dear Editor, On Friday, July 17, I received the Placer County News email with the featured story, "Bosch opens remodeled Roseville semiconductor facility and secures $225 million in funding." "Bosch announced this week that its Roseville semiconductor facility is now operational – following an up to $2 billion modernization investmentsupported by up to $225 million in federal funding secured from the CHIPS and Science Act." Public Law No: 117-167. (Sec. 102) The act establishes and provides funding for the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) for America Fund to carry out activities relating to the creation of incentives to produce semiconductors in the United States. The CHIPS and Science Act became Public Law on Aug. 9, 2022, during the Biden Administration. It was passed by a vote of 243 yeas to 187 nays with the majority (of yeas) coming from Democratic representatives, https://www.congress.gov/votes/house/117-2/404. With respect to California, our Republican representatives were nearly all nay votes, including Tom McClintock and Doug LaMalfa. (Kevin Kiley was not yet elected to Congress.) Reading about H.R. 4346, CHIPS and Science Act brings clarity to what happens when there is legislation passed that benefits our community, as compared to the legislation of the "Big Beautiful Bill" (BBB, passed in 2025), where the rich pay less tax, families are losing their healthinsurance and families who are struggling to put food on the table lose their SNAP benefits, to name a few of the catastrophic impacts of the BBB. I am happy for the future employees of Bosch as well as the tax benefits to our communities. I am grateful for this legislation by the 117thCongress (and the Democrats whose yea votes made this legislation possible) and signed by President Biden in 2022. Sincerely, Emily Gaber Homeowners shouldn't pay for others' mistakes Dear Placer County Clerk and Assessor, The house next door is over 800 square feet larger than our home. In June 2026, it was sold for $637,800 after sitting on the market for a couple of months. You recently assessed our home value at $653,237. If you or anyone else you know is interested in buying our home for that price, please let us know. The formal appeals process will cost us $40. Why should we pay for your department's incompetence? How did you assess the value of our home? Please do your jobs as civil servants by correcting your error and reassessing homes without charging the homeowners of Placer County to pay for your mistakes. Sincerely yours, Andrew Rose & Luz V. Rose Roseville Thanks from a caregiver As a caregiver, I really appreciated Luz Johnson's writing about caregiver burnout (The Folsom Telegraph, Friday, July 17, page A8). Thank you Folsom Telegraph and Luz Johnson! Michael Martin Folsom