Dorchester flagpole cost $80K to replace

BOSTON ? Despite talk of economic recession, state recreation officials spent nearly $80,000 to replace a flagpole at a Dorchester park.The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) replaced the historic wooden flagpole at Richardson Park with a new fiberglass model for a total project cost of $79,758.According to DCR spokesman Wendy Fox, a consultant received approximately $30,000 to examine the 100-foot tall pole and determine it should be replaced rather than restored. The remaining expenses were related to labor and the purchase of a new pole and heavy-duty flags, she said.Fox noted the flagpole was unusually tall, and that a portion of the funding came from private sources through the DCR’s Partnerships Matching Funds Program.Additional projects approved this year through the partnership program include $476,000 to restore three historic water-control gates at Blackstone River & Canal Heritage State Park in Uxbridge, and $60,000 to install solar-powered trash compactors along the Esplanade and at Castle Island.