President of the Jaffrey-Rindge Centennial Lions Club Rich Comeau proudly presented an American flag to stand in the Jaffrey Public Library’s meeting space on Wednesday night – or, he attempted to.
The meeting space, also the former children’s area, has ceilings only seven feet tall. Just shy of the height needed to accommodate its new flag.
Comeau, who owns a flooring company, came to the rescue with a portable electric saw from his truck, doing a quick surgery on the base of the flag’s wooden pole to adjust the height.
After shaving off a few inches, the new standing flag found a place of honor next to the speaking podium in the Jaffrey Public Library downstairs room, which acts both as part of the library book storage, and an open space for library programs and community meetings – including, pre-pandemic, the monthly meeting of the Lions Club.
“I would first like to say that when I asked Julie if there was anything the Lions Club could do for the library as a thank you for letting us have our meetings there, I was kind of surprised at her request that she would like a U.S. flag to keep in the library,” Comeau said, as he delivered the newly sized flag to Jaffrey Public Library Director Julie Perrin. “So I said to her, ‘We can do that for you.’ So not only are we as Lions members happy to give you this gift, but I am personally honored as a veteran to do so.”
The flag was donated by the Lions Club using funds from the member’s own pockets, not donations.
Perrin said the meeting space, up until the library closed to non-essential visitors last year, provided a meeting space at no cost to not only the Lions, but the town Budget Committee, Planning Board, League of Women Voters, Girl Scouts of America and other not-for-profit groups.
“We’re thrilled to have them here, and they’re all worthy non-profits,” Perrin said. “It’s something that’s worked out well for everyone involved.”
But, Perrin said, the meeting room has never had a flag.
“I’ve never worked in a library that didn’t have a flag outside on the pole, as well as indoors in the meeting room,” Perrin said. “The public library is like the essence of democracy, and it’s a little disheartening to have an event without it.”
Now, she said, the room is complete.
Ashley Saari can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 244 or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.