Carlo Polino is a sixth grader with an affinity for flags. Earlier this year he noticed something: While many municipalities have flags, his hometown of Point Pleasant did not.
“One hundred and four years without a flag,” he said, referencing the borough’s incorporation in 1920. “Probably just because no one thought of it.”
That’s changed now. Not only did Carlo think of it; this enterprising 12-year-old drew up a design on his computer and, with the help of his parents, presented a prototype to borough council members in October. They unanimously approved, adopting the design as Point Pleasant’s official flag. Soon it will fly outside the town hall — and elsewhere.
“People came to the meeting and asked, ‘How do we purchase this?’” said Carlo’s mom, Antonella Di Minni. “They want to put it in their front yard.”
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‘The symbolism is amazing’
The flag features Point Pleasant’s crest in the middle, bordered on one side by a bright blue panel and on the other side by a bright green panel. A diagonal white strip divides the panels.
“The blue is for the waterways and the green is for the parks,” Carlo explained, “with the white strip being the canal.”
The two-mile canal that runs north-south between the Manasquan and Metedeconk rivers bisects the borough and is its most distinctive feature.
“The symbolism is amazing — it is very well thought out,” Point Pleasant schools superintendent Adam Angelosi said. “I could see this flag hanging on the sterns of boats going up and down the canal, and on the back of sweatshirts. It’s got that cool vibe to it.”
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Carlo, who attends Memorial Middle School, presented Angelosi with a prototype. It’s hanging in the conference room of the school district’s office.
“He makes me realize that I should never become a cynic,” said Eric Polino, Carlo’s father. “He said he wanted to do this and I said, ‘OK, yeah, you can design a flag.’ And then he did it.”
Flying soon
After creating the design, Carlo emailed it to Point Pleasant Mayor Bob Sabosik, who replied immediately and encouraged him to present it to the council.
“We are all very impressed with his maturity and dedication in doing this,” Sabosik said.
The next step for the council, Sabosik said, is a resolution to order a bunch of flags that are sturdy enough to fly full-time outside, and then distribute them to interested residents.
“For me this is about symbolism — symbolism and pride,” Carlo said. “When you think of a certain place like America, you think of the American flag.”
Carlo’s twin sister Sofia, who has helped him with this every step of the way, hopes it inspires peers to pursue their own creative ideas.
“If you have something you want to do, don’t give up on it,” she said. “Just go for it.”
The twins moved to Point Pleasant as infants in 2013, after their family’s ranch home in Brick was destroyed by flooding during Superstorm Sandy. Antonella, their mom, said the flag “feels like part of the family” because its elements represent the time spent together in the parks and on strolls along the rivers.
“It’s pretty cool that this flag will always be flying and it’s something he created,” Antonella said. “We can never leave now!”
Jerry Carino is community columnist for the Asbury Park Press, focusing on the Jersey Shore’s interesting people, inspiring stories and pressing issues. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Point Pleasant’s new flag was created by a 12-year-old