Flagpole on Order for Mansfield's South Common

The Corey Shea memorial flagpole for the South Common has been ordered, and with the $1000 donated to the cause by the Elks Club, the fund is now about $10,000 short of the $30,000 goal, a number that represents the cost of the pole and the landscaping.

Former Town Moderator Charles Mulcahy, Doreen Mulcahy, and Ed Rosenberg, all representing the charitable arm of the Elks, presented selectmen with the $1000 check at their regular meeting last week.

Rosenberg challenged Mansfield residents and town organizations to donate to the cause, noting if four people send in $25 each, that's another hundred dollars for the project.

Rosenberg said he's lived in town for 38 years, and the flag had been displayed on the same pole all of that time.

"As proud a pole as that is, it's time to retire it," he said.

The fund-raising effort to replace the flagpole and dedicate it to fallen soldier Corey Shea began in earnest in late autumn, and has been rolling along successfully since then.

Shea died in Mosul, Iraq in 2008, at the age of 21.

Mansfield selectman Jess Aptowitz, Veteran's Agent John Hogan, and Town Manager Bill Ross evaluated the situation, the costs, and the kind of pole to use when the idea of the memorial was first suggested, and decided as a team that resurfacing the old pole, while a lot less expensive, was problematic because of the lead paint.

Ross told the board he would order an aluminum pole that measures 80 feet from the ground to the tip, similar to the pole outside the entrance to the police station. The difference will be that the pole rope will be inside the pole.

He said the aluminum was treated to withstand the weather conditions. The height is less than the present flagpole on the common, but the board had thought the 120-foot tall pole was too tall for the site.

Ross added he is retaining the help of a structural engineer to design the base of the pole.

"We have enough money to do that now," Ross said. "With additional funds, we will start construction."

Selectman George Dentino came to the meeting dressed in one of the bright red shirts the fire department is selling to raise money for the cause. "It's a real steal," Dentino said. "Even my dog has one."

The department union 1820 will match the funds raised from the T-shirt project, and residents can call the North Main or Plymouth Street stations to order a shirt, at 508 261-7385 or 508 261-7488.