After the EPA and CT DEP performed their “temporary cleanup” of the HBC property a group called the Raymark Advisory Committee or “RAC” was formed. Ron Smith was appointed as a representative of the boat club and I was appointed as a neighborhood representative. We met monthly for seven long years.

The RAC was composed of 15 or 20 Stratford residents or landowners, representatives of the EPA, DEP, the town health department and others. One of the committee members was Ronnie Peters who was the owner or former owner of Contract Plating which was also a superfund site. In front of the offices of Contract Plating at 540 Longbrook Ave., was a very nice aluminum flagpole about 30” high. At this time Contract Plating was closed and the site was fenced off and plastered with KEEP OUT HAZARDOUS WASTE signs etc.

I took Ron Smith on a field trip to check out the flagpole, he agreed with me that it would make a fine replacement for our existing wood pole which had some serious structural issues. We decided to approach Ronnie about donating the pole to the boat club.

It was probably 2004 or 2005 when we cornered Ronnie and asked her if she was interested in giving us the flagpole, her reply was “As far as I’m concerned you can have it, but I’m not sure I still own it” I looked at Ron, he looked at me, and we both said “good enough for us!”

Our band of thieves was rounded out with the addition of Lee Henchman and we plotted a strategy to “rescue” the flagpole. We figured a Sunday morning would be an ideal time as the site would be abandoned and there would be no one there to question us. I offered to borrow my neighbor's bucket truck, which was equipped with an onboard generator,and one Sunday morning we met at the boat club to launch our rescue mission. Don Triano was at the club and we recruited him to join the adventure. We left, me driving the bucket truck Ron, Lee, and Don followed in a car. We pulled up to 540 Longbrook Ave ( a block from the Police Station), set up the bucket truck and started the generator. I went up in the bucket about 2⁄3 up the flagpole and tied the pole to the bucket. Lee and Ron fired up the sawzall and cut the pole off right at its base,while Don nervously kept a lookout. I lowered the bucket, we secured the flagpole to the top of the truck and we were off!

We returned to the club and deposited the flagpole at the north end of the lot near the dry sail area. The flagpole sat there for a few years but the rapidly deteriorating existing flagpole, which was comprised of a square spruce mast and the gaff from the Alden schooner MALABAR IV, winner of the 1923 Bermuda Race and formerly owned by Commodore Donald Sammis (1952),dictated action on the replacement.

We always intended to duplicate the existing flagpole with a mainmast and a gaff but what proportions? To that end Lee drew up a CAD drawing and we consulted club member Malcolm Bryant, who was among other things a nautical artist of some repute and the official artist of the US Coast Guard. We went back and forth with Malcolm and agreed upon the proportions. It would be a mast with spreaders, and a gaff. Now to get it built.

My friend and associate Jim McCarthy owned a boiler repair company and had a shop on Benton St in Stratford, He graciously agreed to help in the fabrication for the usual fee (0.00) Weneeded to extend the pole and a suitable piece of aluminum was found and procured, tangs for the spreaders were fabricated and welded to the pole as well as tangs for the attachment of the gaff. At that time I thought some counterweight would be helpful, we plugged the bottom ofthe pole, hoisted the butt end as high as we could and poured in concrete. In retrospect it would have been a lot easier to fill the extension with concrete before welding. A 3” aluminum electrical conduit was in my yard and was going to be a bowsprit for an a-sail but was commissioned as the gaff. Paul McCarthy turned a wooden plug for the gaff, and Jim welded on the trunnions and designed the support brackets for the pole.

The whole thing was assembled, painted, and installed for the 2010 opening of the club. Ronnie Peters, Jim and Lyn McCarthy were invited to the opening day ceremony and presented with Malcolm Bryant prints of his painting of the Housatonic Boat Club. At a later date Paul McCarthy fabricated the circular pin rail to secure the halyards. The red over white over red running lights were added signifying at anchor.

That's my story and I’m sticking with it.

-Tom Fahy