Communities to get flags for quadricentennial

Municipalities from Manhattan to the Canadian border are getting special flags that commemorate this year's 400th anniversary of the explorations Henry Hudson and Samuel de Champlain.

Tara Sullivan, the executive director of the state's quadricentennial commission, delivered a commemorative flag to New York City. Mayor Michael Bloomberg's office on Tuesday.

She then headed up the Hudson, delivering more flags to local officials.

Yesterday she presented one of the commemorative banners to members of the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors.

Sullivan will resume her northward trek next week.

She'll continue to the Canadian border, passing out flags and information about the quadricentennial along the way.

Sullivan says flying the flags will signify unity among the more than 1,000 local events being held this year from Rouses Point to New York Harbor to commemorate the voyages of Hudson, Champlain and steamboat pioneer Robert Fulton.

For more information, go to: www.exploreny400.com

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)