By Rick Palsgrove
Eastside Editor
Alex Kelley works on the landscaping around the base for one of the new flag poles to be installed in Huber Park.
Boy Scout Alex Kelley has seen his Eagle Scout project that was designed to be a tribute to local veterans become a reality.
On Sept. 11, six additional flagpoles in honor of the branches of the military were installed in Reynoldsburg’s Huber Park.
Kelley, a member of Boy Scout Troop 68, said, “I wanted the opportunity to give something back to the city and to the veterans of the community. The city of Reynoldsburg does not have this type of public tribute to veterans. I wanted my Eagle Scout project to be something meaningful to my community as well as to be a project that will be around for generations to enjoy and for me to visit in my older years.”
The new flags flag poles join an existing American flag pole and a POW flag pole between the Reynoldsburg Senior Center and the Huber Park parking lot. The additional flagpoles were placed in a semi-circle around the American flag pole. One flag will fly from each of the new poles representing each branch of the military – Army, Navy, Marines, U.S. Coast Guard, Air Force, and a new pole for the POW flag. The city of Reynoldsburg donated the flags for the new poles.
Kelley, along with assistant Scoutmasters Mike Davis, Greg Giles, Fred Ufferman, Brian Charles, and Jason Knight, spent four hours on Sept. 9 pouring the concrete bases for the new flag poles.
Additionally, Kelley expressed his thanks to Hickory House, Ed Evans, Scoutmaster Dave Bernier, assistant Scoutmaster Steve Farst, fellow Scouts Tyler Giles and Matthew Ufferman, and the Admiral Flag Company for their support of the project. Also, he thanked the community for their generous donations totaling $4,500 for the project, as well as Scout Brennan Perion, who donated $980 left over from his own Eagle Scout project for the flag pole project.
“I’m very proud of Alex,” said his mother, Amanda Kelley. “He put forth the effort and saw it through. We’re proud of his commitment and dedication.”
Alex, This is fantastic. As we were leaving Reynoldsburg senior center today, I commented about the beautiful flags. My husband Bob and I are members of Parkview Presbyterian Church and we see a lot that your scouts do. This is VERY special. Thank you, Donna Abbott