American Legion Offers To Pay For Flagpole

Earlier this week, after a resident asked the Haverford Township Board of Commissioners if township funds were used to pay for a flagpole on private property, the American Legion has offered to pay for it.

, Larry Chrzan, for the 7th Ward in the 2011 election, asked the commissioners if township money was used to pay for a flagpole in front of the Cheese Club that was dedicated to a fallen veteran.

Township manager Larry Gentile admitted to the commissioners that he did use township funds to pay for the flagpole, saying that it was part of improving the business district in the Oakmont section of Havertown.

But in an email to the Haverford-Havertown Patch on Wednesday, Patrick J. Lavin, commander of the American Legion Post 667 in Havertown, wrote that the Legion would be willing to pay for the flagpole.

“… The American Legion Manoa Post 667 located on Steel Rd in Havertown will gladly pay for the flagpole in front of the Cheese Club of Havertown,” Lavin wrote. “Our Post’s Honor Guard was part of the raising of the flag on this new pole on July 16, 2011, which is dedicated to a fallen Veteran.  Many of our Veteran members are also members of the Cheese Club and we work jointly on some community enrichment projects and fundraisers.”

Patch forwarded Lavin’s offer to Gentile and President and 9th Ward Commissioner Bill Wechsler and also inquired about additional information regarding the flagpole.

But on Thursday afternoon, township solicitor Jim Byrne called Patch on behalf of the township to address the issue. The flagpole cost the township $550, but Byrne said he was not sure if a violation was broken since township money was only used to improve the Oakmont business district.

“When trying to improve the business district, sometimes mistakes are made,” Byrne said. “I don’t think there was a violation of the law.”

But Byrne said he would advise the commissioners to have the Cheese Club pay for the flagpole and said that if the Legion wanted to reimburse the township that would be “OK.”

Patch called the Cheese Club and the man who answered, who wished not to be identified, explained that the old flagpole was damaged in a storm and the new one was a gift.

But he said that he was not aware that the flagpole had become an issue. 

“The Cheese Club has no idea what is going on. No one has contacted us about it,” he said. “We are in the dark.”