A giant 8′ x 12′ American flag, which once flew above Fort McHenry, home of the Star Spangled Banner, will be on display in Belleville as part of the Belleville Historical Society July 4 celebration at the old Belleville Dutch Reformed Church. The society traveled to Fort McHenry last September, on the anniversary of the famous battle in Baltimore Harbor where the National Park Service hoisted the flag above the fort in the exact spot where the original Star Spangled banner flew more than 200 years earlier. Francis Scott Key was imprisoned on a British ship and witnessed the massive 25-hour bombardment of the American fort by the British Navy. At dawn, the American flag was still there and Keys began writing the words of what would become America’s national anthem. The July 4 ceremony is set for 11 a.m. in the churchyard located at the corner of Rutgers and Main streets. In the photo, veterans and auxiliaries at Belleville American Legion Post 105 holding the super size flag in preparation for the July 4 festivities.
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Kevin A. Canessa Jr. is the editor of and broadcaster at The Observer, an organization he has served since 2006. He is responsible for the editorial content of the newspaper and website, the production of the e-Newspaper, writing several stories per week (including the weekly editorial), conducting live broadcasts on social media channels such as YouTube, Facebook, and X, including a weekly recap of the news — and much more behind the scenes. Between 2006 and 2008, he introduced the newspaper to its first-ever blog — which included podcasts, audio and video. Originally from Jersey City, Kevin lived in Kearny until 2004, lived in Port St. Lucie. Florida, for four years until February 2016 and in March of that year, he moved back to Kearny to return to The Observer full time. Click Here to send Kevin an email.