MOUNT VERNON — The flag pole was so rusty, it fell over last fall. The pole which flys the flag in front of the Freedom Center at 105 E. Gambier St., was blown over in a wind, and fell against the house.
Rick Schlegel, executive director of the Freedom Center, said he and maintenance man Barry Antill determined it was so rusted at the base that the wind was able to push it over. Schlegel said the 25-foot-pole was most likely installed a number of years ago by the American Legion Post that owned the property.
Schlegel is working on a couple of fundraising efforts to support the prevention and treatment efforts of the center, and to restore the old facility. The board of directors of the center established a fundraiser selling engraved paving bricks, which have been placed in the front sidewalk to remind the public there is hope in the journey from addiction to sobriety. Schlegel said 65 bricks are needed to finance the purchase of the flagpole.
The agency is also looking for other donors to help with the replacement.
Anyone interested in purchasing bricks or otherwise helping with the fund raising is encouraged to contact the Freedom Center at 397-2660.