Transplanted Flagpole Finds New Home at Alfred H. Doherty Playground on Sumner Street-August 13, 1984

Charles and Mildred O’Malia of Westwood recently donated the flagpole along with an American flag. The O’Malias retrieved the pole from their cottage on Great East Lake in East Wakefield, N.H., situated near the Maine border. Charles O’Malia explained that his wife’s late father, Ralph J. Torrey, originally built the flagpole years prior by cutting down a tree, then stripping and finishing it himself. However, as surrounding trees grew up around the pole, it had fallen into disuse.

Upon learning that Alfred Doherty, chairman of the town’s recreation advisory committee, was searching for a flagpole to install at the playground named in his honor, the O’Malias stepped forward to offer the family heirloom. O’Malia noted that the flagpole was thoroughly refinished, painted bright white, and outfitted with brand-new hardware and rope at the Norwood warehouse of his company, C.M.C. Elevator Corp. Doherty personally dug the installation hole at the playground and teamed up with neighbor Jimmy Domenica to mix the concrete and securely position the 20-foot flagpole. According to Doherty, who resides nearby and maintains a hands-on interest in the park, the flag is flown daily. O’Malia remarked that the relocation would have delighted his late father-in-law, noting, “He was a fellow who liked kids. It was a shame it (the pole) wasn’t being used.” Torrey, a native of Portland, Maine, had previously lived in Roslindale before passing away eight years prior.

Doherty noted that while the playground—constructed just the previous year—does not yet host formal organized activities operated by the recreation department, local children make heavy daily use of the grounds. The gate is opened on weekends to permit vehicle parking, ensuring that “kids use it all day long, every day.”

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger