Westfield Eagle Scout, city councilor team up to bring flag incinerator to park

WESTFIELD, MA (WGGB/WSHM) -- A Westfield teenager, with the support from a city councilor, is looking to complete his Eagle Scout project. The idea is to place an incinerator in the middle of a park for ceremonies that would honor both the American flag and our veterans.

For 16-year-old Eagle Scout Brandon Cekovsky, he has been looking for a way to have folded flags burned safely to honor our veterans.

“It was originally an open burn pit, and they (the parks and rec. commission) were concerned about the embers and the smoke,” Cekovsky said. “There’s just so much of a buildup and there was no easy way to dispose of them (the flags) quickly.”

So, during the last year, Cekovsky has been working hard to get a flag incinerator in the middle of Parker Memorial Park, which is home to several stones paying tribute to those from the Westfield area who died during some of the most well-known conflicts in history. To avoid disrespect by throwing away a folded flag, there is a tradition of burning it known as the ceremony for the proper disposal of the American flag.

“The American flag, as a symbol, is sacred. This project would allow all Westfield veterans organizations to burn a limited number of flags on a regular basis with greater public access,” said Westfield City Councilor Dan Allie.

Allie has supported the project for a while and has been impressed with Cekovsky’s determination. While most flags would continue to be disposed of by veterans groups and Boy Scout troops in ceremonies at other city locations and surrounding communities, the idea is to have a small patio and incinerator in Parker Park to give the public a chance to observe the ceremony firsthand. With the project on the agenda at a Westfield Parks and Recreation Commission meeting Wednesday night, Allie, who is also the chair of the city properties committee, said there should be no issue with getting the idea passed.

“Congress passed this procedure back in 1937 and I see nothing in local or state law that would prohibit them from doing this,” Allie added.

No matter the result, the Westfield High School student is proud of his hard work and the support he has received.

“My biggest takeaway from this project is keep on pushing, keep on persevering through it,” Cekovsky explained. “I could basically show the scouting community that even when people retaliate against you and they say, ‘no, you can’t do this.’ I just want to show the scouting community, ‘yes, you can.’”

If the city’s parks and recreation commission approves the project, the hope is to have the patio and incinerator in place by Memorial Day weekend.