To the Editor:

You’d never know it, but it really does take a village to keep our town’s flagpole looking as good as it does.

Two Saturdays ago, firefighters with Newtown Hook & Ladder Co and members of the Newtown Lions Club gathered at the flagpole for our biannual flag swap. The larger summer flag, which measures 20 by 30 feet, came down and was replaced by the smaller 12 by 18 winter flag, which holds up better in stiff winds. I’m grateful to the men and women from both organizations who took time out of a busy Saturday morning to help with the changeover.

The winter flags — we go through at least two a year — are a gift to the community from Mike Sorrentino, owner of Newtown Hardware. Mike has donated the winter flags for many, many years, and I really appreciate his generosity and patriotism. The summer flag is provided by the Lions Club, which raises money through fundraisers like the Mustang car raffle and Duck Race to give back to Newtown.

This year I received a generous donation of paint from Ring’s End in Newtown for the frequent touch-ups that I do when the pole is sideswiped. The new black and yellow reflective warning signs that hang on three sides of the pole were provided by the Town of Newtown Public Works Department, which stepped in after the Connecticut Department of Transportation said it would no longer replace the signs when they are damaged because the pole is owned by the town. Fred Hurley, the town’s public works director, quickly and quietly took care of that problem.

I also want to thank members of the Flagpole Stewardship Committee consisting of myself, Pat Llodra, Steve Bennett, and Bruce Walczak, who come together when needed to raise money for the Newtown Flagpole Fund, an endowed account maintained by the Town of Newtown Finance Director. Donations help pay for flagpole maintenance, primarily the top-to-bottom painting that will need to be done again in a few years.

Finally, I would like to thank The Newtown Bee for always being there to photograph the flag changeover. This year’s photos on the front page a couple weeks back were spectacular.

The flagpole continues to look great thanks to so many people’s help. Enjoy its beauty the next time you drive through the Borough.

Respectfully,

Chris Gardner, Keeper of the Flag

Newtown