Betty Presnell called it awesome, Joyce DeWolfe thought it was wonderful, and Kevin Corey called it magnificent.

“It” was the raising of a 20- by 30-foot American flag on the Main Street flagpole last weekend. The public was given advance notice of the event this year, and invited not only to watch the flag being raised on May 22, but also to participate in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance together.

Corey was among the members of Newtown Lions Club to participate in the event. The Lions support the event each year with manpower on the ground, making sure the large banners of the lowered winter flag and the new summer flag do not touch the street during the changeover. The club often donates to the fund that continues maintenance of the flagpole and buys new flags when needed.

Chris Gardner arrived on Main Street Saturday morning carrying an armload of patriotism and sporting a big grin.

Gardner, the town’s “Keeper of the Flagpole,” had scrambled to locate a 20- by 30-foot American flag after a delay in the original plans for this year’s winter-to-summer flag changeover. He and the local Lions had hoped to do the annual winter-to-summer flag changeover a week earlier, but the larger flag could not be supplied in time for that.

The group postponed their plans by one week, and the second time was indeed the charm.

Gardner, his wife, Kathy, members of Newtown Lions Club, and a group of residents who had heard about the new plan for the annual event — to commemorate the raising of the flag with the group recitation — gathered in front of the commercial building at 33 Main Street shortly before 8 am.

John and Jane Vouros were in front of their bed-and-breakfast at 29 Main Street. Other neighbors also gathered on their respective front stoops, waiting for the big moment.

With the arrival of Hook & Ladder’s ladder truck and a crew of firefighters at 8 am, the changeover began. A Newtown police office was also part of the event at the intersection, where traffic continued to move under his control.

The flagpole had been painted a few days earlier, and then left without a flag until Saturday morning.

“The paint that was used takes at least two days to dry,” Gardner said. “There was no reason to get the firefighters up here on Friday night to put the winter flag back on the flagpole, and ask them to return this morning to switch out the flags.”

Shortly after 8 am, Lions and Hook & Ladder Lieutenant David White walked into the center of Main Street. Gardner met him there and unwrapped the flag, and White began hooking it to one of the new snaps on the rigging.

“I don’t think the hardware on the previous rope had been changed for about ten years,” Gardner said earlier. The state DOT had also installed new signs around the base of the flagpole during the previous week, he noted.

White then raised the flag into position. Hook & Ladder firefighters Chris Proulx and Kristen Rebelo, who were waiting on the extended ladder of the company’s ladder truck, then collected the rope and tied it off.

A smaller, “winter size” 16- by 20-foot flag will replace the current flag shortly after Labor Day.

First Selectman Dan Rosenthal also joined the group that assembled Saturday morning. He greeted most by name upon his arrival, and was among the first to clap once the flag was fully raised into position.

Rosenthal also joined with the other spectators near the corner of West and Main streets, where most removed hats, the majority put their right hands over their hearts, and then looked up while reciting the pledge. Many smiled and clapped again at the end of the brief recitation.

Newtown resident Betty Presnell was awestruck by the flag.

“It really is just awesome,” she said, still looking skyward as the flag snapped in the morning’s breeze. “It was just great.”

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Associate Editor Shannon Hicks can be reached at shannon@thebee.com.