Cape Gazette reporter Ron MacArthur, who died May 14 after a long battle with liver disease, enjoyed driving Sussex County’s back roads in search of unique opportunities for photographs. Few things, if any, captured his attention more than the Pole Family that often changed outfits in the dark of night along Route 9. 

As the Sussex County beat reporter, Ron would often travel west from the Cape Gazette office in Nassau Commons to Georgetown for various meetings. If the Pole Family had changed, which often coincided with an upcoming holiday, he would pull over to the side of the road near The Vineyards community and take a picture. Ron amassed dozens of pictures throughout the years, always posting them on Facebook for his followers to see. What started as a single Pole Man evolved into an entire Pole Family before it was destroyed in the fall of 2020. 

The identities of those who decorated the poles were never revealed. Even if Ron had found that out, he probably would’ve held onto the secret to keep a good thing going for as long as possible.