Flags will not be put out by the Manteca Chamber of Commerce as scheduled for Martin Luther King Day due to the forecast for inclement weather Monday.

Usually the 2,500 flags that are part of Flags over Manteca are placed nine times during the year including on the birthday of the civil rights leader.

However, whenever there is a good chance of rain in the forecast the chamber cancels the flag display.

The reason is simple. If the flags get damp and are stored mold becomes a problem. Each flag represents a $50 investment.

Flags over Manteca was the chamber’s response to the 2001 terrorist attacks. They raised almost $60,000 to get the flag project in place to mark the first anniversary of those attacks which has now become known as Patriots Day. There are eight other days flags are placed out if weather permits.

They are Martin Luther King Day, Presidents Day, Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, and Veterans Day.