New Philadelphia Rotarians install flag display ahead of Memorial Day

Andrew Dolph, The Times-Reporter
·1 min read
New Philadelphia Rotary Club members Carey Gardner and Mark Garrison, right, work to install flags as part of the Salute Freedom project at the corner of Commercial Avenue SE and South Broadway Street in New Philadelphia. Walking at left is Tom Police.
New Philadelphia Rotary Club members Carey Gardner and Mark Garrison, right, work to install flags as part of the Salute Freedom project at the corner of Commercial Avenue SE and South Broadway Street in New Philadelphia. Walking at left is Tom Police.

NEW PHILADELPHIA – Temperatures soared well into the high 80s as three New Philadelphia Rotarians recently worked to install a display of 50 flags at the corner of South Broadway and Commercial Avenue SE.

Dubbed the Salute Freedom project — co-chaired by New Philadelphia Rotary’s Tom Police and Mark Garrison, with assistance from Cary Gardner — placement of flags around the city is in its 13th year. However, it was the first year of the 50-flag display at the very same site of the recently resurrected Christmas display of 2023 and previous decades.

A holiday tradition: Southside residents bring back Christmas display

Tom Police of the New Philadelphia Rotary Club installs one of 50 flags as part of the Salute Freedom project at Commercial Avenue SE and South Broadway Street in New Philadelphia.
Tom Police of the New Philadelphia Rotary Club installs one of 50 flags as part of the Salute Freedom project at Commercial Avenue SE and South Broadway Street in New Philadelphia.

Inspired by suggestions from the South Side Neighbors Facebook group, funds for the flag display were paid for with donations.

All the flags were acquired this year through Amazon for $9.99 a piece and produced by an American manufacturer, according to Tom Police.

In order to guarantee stability during installation and future years, 18-inch holes were drilled into the ground for PVC pipes to be inserted and used as flag pole holders. The goal is to be able to reuse the sheaths year after year instead of going through arduous installation over and over again.

The display will come down after Veterans Day.

Flags await installation as part of the Salute Freedom project at the corner of Commercial Avenue SE and South Broadway Street in New Philadelphia.
Flags await installation as part of the Salute Freedom project at the corner of Commercial Avenue SE and South Broadway Street in New Philadelphia.

T-R staff photographer Andrew Dolph can be reached by phone at 330-289-6072, or by email at adolph3@gannett.com. You can also find him on Instagram @dolphphoto.

This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: New Philadelphia gets display of 50 flags thanks to Rotary Club