Ridgewood May 2, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • Page 11 Vets, Rotary seek funds to rehabilitate flagpole by John Koster American Legion Historian Chris Stout has asked the Ridgewood Village Council if the governing body could donate $2,000 to help rehabilitate the flagpole at the corner of North Maple Avenue and Linwood Avenue. Stout served last year as principal spokesman for the movement to install a new plaque honoring Ridgewood’s dead from World War I after vandals stole some individual plaques and trees engulfed the others. Last week, he said the official Ridgewood flagpole dedicated in 1951 has become an eyesore and needs to be restored. Stout explained that a new flagpole would cost $4,708 according to Gates Flags. Base rehabilitation would cost $2,900, an interpretative panel would cost $739, and medallion cleaning would cost $660, he reported. So far, Stout said he has firm commitments for $5,100 and anticipated another $2,000, but he hoped that the council would cover any shortfall. He added that a check made payable to the tax-exempt Ridgewood Rotary Foundation would make the Ridgewood Rotary Club eligible for a 50 percent matching grant from the Rotary District 7490 Foundation, and that this would be passed along to restore the flagpole. “I personally feel that because it is your flagpole, you should have some skin in the game,” Stout told the mayor and council. Stout added that, if the flagpole rehabilitation were approved, two of the three Boy Scouts who raised the flag on the existing pole in 1951 would be available to take part in a rededication ceremony. “The first flag to fly on the original pole had flown over the U.S. Capitol,” he said. “We have such a flag and will repeat that part of the ceremony.” He said that the 1951 flagpole had been donated through the generosity of Rotary, Kiwanis, Lions, and the Exchange Club. “Only the Rotary still has a presence in Ridgewood and has committed to supporting the project, as have American Legion Post 53 and Washington Elm VFW Post 192.” “You don’t mince words,” Mayor Keith Killion, a Vietnam veteran, replied. “We’re going to have to dig deep. It is our flagpole, as you’ve said, but these are tough times.” Council members said informally that, at very least, they would consider allowing Stout and his flagpole restoration groups to advertise on Ridgewood’s official website to attract voluntary donors. Resident Len Eisen, a Cold War U.S. Navy veteran, said he saw no objection to Ridgewood donating a small amount of money to repair the flagpole, considering some of the larger amounts of taxpayer money wasted on less worthy projects such as double-dipping pensions for state and county employees. There were no objections from the audience or the council, but Council Member Thomas Riche raised an ancillary concern: Riche said the Van Neste Square veterans’ monument near Ridgewood Avenue was being damaged by (continued on page 12)