City Honors Robin Porter

Easton will fly its city flag at half-mast until Tuesday morning to honor Robin Porter, the beloved arts patron/business owner/family man/civic booster who died last week.

"I don't do this lightly," Mayor Sal Panto said Monday just before lowering the flag in Centre Square. "We can't do it for everyone."

The mayor said Porter opened art gallery at a time when nobody thought it would work, and wound up planting the seeds for an artists community in Easton.

"More importantly, he just dove into anything he community needed," Panto said.

That included support for the Easton Farmers Market, which dedicated its last season to Porter. 

"I will miss my conversations with him...miss seeing him Saturdays at the Farmer's Market," said state Rep. Bob Freeman (D-136), who became choked up as he spoke.

Freeman and Panto recalled Porter coming to the market last year, despite his illness.

"He was frail, but funny," Panto said.

A public celebration of Porter will be held from 6-8 p.m. Monday at the Bank Street Annex.