Veterans’ banner project in Monessen to end
By TAYLOR BROWN
tbrown@yourmvi.com
A program in Monessen that honors veterans with banners along city streets is ending.
Local veterans groups say they cannot continue to replace banners that fall from their poles, and they will no longer sell new banners.
The city has more than 400 banners installed along its streets. More than 70 of them were recently repaired and reinstalled on poles throughout town.
VFW Commander Ron Chromulak said the program has become too costly and time consuming.
“Monessen American Legion Post 28 and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1190 have completed the final repairs on the banners in Monessen that were damaged by heavy winds during the spring and summer,” Chromulak said. “The banners have been reinstalled on the utility poles for the last time.”
Banners that fall due to the weather or other circumstances will be stored in a safe location.
“The originals were put up almost five years ago,” Chromulak said. “But it has become very costly to maintain them, to put them up and take them down.”
Tribute banners recognizing area veterans have been in place for more than four years.
Veterans repaired damaged banners that were blown down and had their holders damaged by heavy wind and storms earlier this year. They spent hours cutting, sanding, cleaning and cementing the PVC pipes together to form the supports that hold the banners.
The banner program has been in place for more than four years, and Chromulak said it wasn’t easy to get support when it started.
“The situation we have, not just Monessen but other communities as well, we have a difficult time getting things done that need to be done,” Chromulak said. “This is just one of those things that does not have to be done, as far as others are concerned.
“They don’t want to cooperate.”
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