A 25-foot flag pole will be installed in the next few weeks in front of the Greene County Community Center in a planter that up until Thursday contained a black locust tree.
The flag pole, flag, and LED solar lighting for 24/7 illumination are being donated by Vi Hoffman as a memorial to her late husband Harry, a Jefferson business owner and longtime supporter of the Jefferson park and recreation department.
The black locust tree was planted when the center was built in 1998. Its fine gold foliage was decorative, but created a challenge in keeping the entryway and rain gutters clean. The city street crew removed the tree. Street superintendent Dave Teeples is pictured doing the honors with the chain saw. Some repair work will be done on the planter and it will be prepared for new planting in the spring.
“The tree was nice. The flag pole will be nicer,” park and recreation director Vicky Lautner said.
The community center has been one of only a few public buildings that does not fly an American flag.
