Photos Courtesy of Hartestein Photography.
Many of us watched as the flag pole at the intersection of Main and East Main went up earlier this year, but on Veteran's Day the town had an official ceremony dedicating the flag pole.
According to Selectman Rick Hartenstein speech, the original flag pole at this location was installed on Saturday, June 16, 1917. The Grand Army of the Republic and its associated Woman’s Relief Corps presented the Town of Stafford with a 75-foot-tall flagpole placed at the intersection of Main St. and East Main St. The flag itself was donated by Stafford citizens. "Stafford was very proud of the flagpole, which was donated by a few Civil
War veterans in memory of the Grand Army. The Civil War Veterans fought
in the war from 1861 to 1865," said Hartenstein.
The town marked the occasion with parade from Memorial Hall in Stafford Hollow to downtown Stafford Springs that included The Italian Band, various military groups, and
many students from area schools. Then, more than 100 years later in 2019, the flag pole blew over at 1 a.m. Hartstenstein organized a Flag Pole Committee to look into replacing the pole. That committee came to consist of John Berry, Amy Hartenstein, Chris Paradiso, Nancy Ravetto, Bob Titus, and John Whetton.
"After extensive planning and discussion, we contacted the Arute Family at Stafford Motor Speedway, who had recently replaced their old flagpole, to gather information about their purchase," said Hartenstein. "In a generous gesture, the Arute Family offered to donate the entire flagpole to the Town of Stafford, and we were genuinely grateful for their kindness." Still, the committee needed the fund to actually raise the flag pole.
Several local businesses donated the funds to cover installation: Aqua Pump, McKinney Construction, Stafford Sand and Gravel, and Paradiso Insurance. Then there was another bump in the road. The town learned the state was planning work on the rotary, which would impact the intersection where the flag pole was set to go. Hartenstein said with the help of State Senator Jeff Gordon and House Representative Kurt Vail, the flag pole installation was incorporated into the project at no additional cost to the Town of Stafford. The funds originally donated for the installation will now be used for the ongoing care of future flags, including the 12x18 American Flag and the 6 x 10 POW flag, and any necessary repairs to the flagpole. The Board of Selectmen has approved the Veterans Advisory Committee to manage these funds.
The ceremony included a presentation from the Arute Family, the national anthem sung by Lori Dillion, Jill Gregori, Madi Corbin, and Mark and Rose Roszczewski, anda group sing-a-long of "America the Beautiful."