David Eulitt
year in review: 2010: Such Great Heights
Such Great Heights, photo by David Eulitt / The Kansas City Star ©
Jim Phelan, a steeplejack from Pacifica, California, worked atop a 40-foot flagpole on the Commerce Bank building at 1000 Walnut Street in downtown Kansas City, Mo. on Wednesday morning, repairing the pulley assembly on the aluminum pole to make the flagpole functional again. Phelan, 58, a third-generation steeplejack with J.C. Phelan Co., has been working in dizzying heights for 40 years. His 10-year-old son, Jells, has shown interest in continuing the family business. Phelan's company is one of two companies in the United States that travel to perform steeplejacking, rigging and flagpole repairs.
Jim Phelan, a steeplejack from Pacifica, California, worked atop a 40-foot flagpole on the Commerce Bank building at 1000 Walnut Street in downtown Kansas City, Mo. on Wednesday morning, repairing the pulley assembly on the aluminum pole to make the flagpole functional again. Phelan, 58, a third-generation steeplejack with J.C. Phelan Co., has been working in dizzying heights for 40 years. His 10-year-old son, Jells, has shown interest in continuing the family business. Phelan's company is one of two companies in the United States that travel to perform steeplejacking, rigging and flagpole repairs.
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