Connellsville committee holds sale to replace stolen flags
SOUTH CONNELLSVILLE – The red, white and blue will fly again along the main borough artery, thanks in part to a few supporters. On Saturday, the borough municipal building parking lot was packed with passersby wanting to purchase T-shirts and signs from Flags Over South Connellsville Committee members, who had set up an outdoor table to sell the items.
The sale was to raise funds to replace several flags that had been stolen from along Pittsburgh Street two weeks ago.
“I can’t figure out why someone would do something like that,” said Lonnie Casini, a member of the committee.
After President George W. Bush announced that the war to liberate Iraq was under way, Casini and her husband, Mayor Pete Casini, began erecting the 56 flags along Pittsburgh Street.
Their thought was that while the war was under way, the flags would stand as a tribute to the soldiers who were putting their lives on the line to keep America safe.
“You want to do something to show your support,” said Lonnie Casini.
Over the next two days, however, some of the flags began to disappear.
Lonnie Casini said that, despite the committee’s determination to maintain the remaining flags on the street, it became clear they could all be removed if allowed to stand.
“It makes you feel good to see the flag flying, but we didn’t want to lose all of them,” she said.
The committee gathered and stored the remaining flags, but continued pressure from residents to see them flying again prompted the group to hold a fund-raiser, so that the full complement of flags again would fly high.
The committee sought the assistance of John Richter, owner of U.S. Screen Printing and Specialties from Masontown, to print T-shirts and signs with messages of military support.
“He gave us a good price, and they’ve been going very fast,” said Pete Casini. “I think we’ll be able to get the flags back up by Monday.”
Lonnie Casini, meanwhile, suggested that residents and business owners along Pittsburgh Street should adopt the flag outside their home or business in order to halt any future vandalism.
Anyone with information concerning the earlier vandalism or who sees anyone tampering with the new flags is asked to call the South Connellsville Police Department at 724-628-4860.