ATHOL — If you’re driving around downtown Athol this weekend and notice fewer American flags lining Main Street, rest assured all your stars and stripes will return.
Members of the Athol Holiday Decorating Committee decided to loan 66 flags for a parade planned for Greenfield on Sunday to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Greenfield Fire Chief Robert Strahan said the idea is to have 359 flags to represent every firefighter that died from the attacks. He said 343 firefighters died that day and 16 have since succumb to health complications that resulted from performing their duties in the aftermath.
The parade is scheduled to begin at noon.
Holiday Decorating Committee Chairman Herb Wheeler said the committee earlier loaned 32 flags and contributed another 34 on Thursday morning. He said the latter 34 will be made up of every other flag that typically flies on Main and Exchange streets. The loan got the approval of the Athol Board of Selectmen on Tuesday night. Though the flags were purchased with donation money and not tax dollars, Wheeler said the selectmen’s vote was sought as a precaution.
The flags, Wheeler said, will be returned after the parade.
Lt. Peter McIver of the Greenfield Fire Department said a ceremony is slated for 11 a.m. on Sunday in front of the fire station at 412 Main St. He also said the parade will start at the courthouse, proceed west down Main Street, turn onto River Street at Dunkin’ Donuts, and then up Laurel Street to the fairgrounds.
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