During the March storms that caused wind damage across Fairfield County, one casualty was the signature flagpole at St. Anthony of Padua Church on South Pine Creek Road in Fairfield. Retired Fairfield Fire Chief David Russell wanted to do something to fix that.
So, Russell, a Navy veteran who served in World War II as a subchaser, went to current Fire Chief Richard Felner, a retired Marine, to remedy the situation. The duo worked with Bob Sabo and Michael Yransky, two Fairfield residents and St. Anthony's parishioners and arranged for the installation of a flag pole in time for the Memorial Day Parade, which begins up the road at the corner of South Pine Creek and Reef roads.
The flagpole will be blessed by Father John Baran as part of the annual Bridgeport Area Retired Firefighter Mass, held at St. Anthony's at 7 p.m. on Tuesday. On Thursday, the final pieces of the flagpole were assembled and Russell, Felner and other members of the Fairfield Fire Department raised the flag to half staff in honor of Connecticut Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Edwin Rivera of Waterford, who died late Tuesday night in Afghanistan.
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