HOPE — Demand is expected to be high for a unique way to honor veterans associated with Bartholomew County’s second-largest town.
Letters will be mailed out within a week to Hope Utilities customers that explain the new Hometown Hero banner program, Town Manager Frank Owens said.
If someone wants to honor a veteran, they will be able to have that person’s name, years of service and an emblem depicting their branch of service placed on a banner. Each of those banners will be placed on metal arms attached to 25 poles in the newly-renovated Hope Town Square.
The banners will be displayed twice a year — around Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day, Owens said.
Some options will be available, including the printing of the veteran’s photograph. However, those who choose to use a photo must agree not to request a refund if they are dissatisfied, council members said.
The cost will be $97 to have one side of one banner honoring one veteran. However, for those who wish to have both sides of a banner dedicated, the cost rises slightly to $107, the town manager said.
“Let’s say you have a Dad and a brother you want to put on either side of a banner,” Owens told the Hope Town Council. “You would only pay 10 extra dollars.”
Utilities superintendent David Clouse said he has visited a community where these types of banners with photos were displayed in a public area.
“They really looked sharp,” Clouse said. (The photos) really personalize it.”
But these banners will remain in the town’s possession to ensure they are put up, taken down and stored safely to avoid damage, Owens said. If special care is taken, each banner should last for 10 to 12 years, he said.
Councilman Ohmer Miller asked that American Legion Post 229 in Hope be given the opportunity to have a banner made for veterans with a Hope connection that may not necessarily reside within the town limits.
Another council member, Clyde Compton, requested a banner dedicated to Hope military personnel listed as missing in action.
“I get the feeling that if we get this out to everyone, including the American Legion, we’re going to have a very positive response,” Owens said. “I might have to come back (to the council) and ask for more banner arms.”
On Tuesday, the council limited themselves to purchasing 14 sets of banner arms at a cost of $3,238. With the 11 arms already in place, there will be a total of 25 banner arms within the town square, Owens said.
Flowery banners for warm weather months, as well as others that commemorate Independence Day, have already been obtained. But the council unanimously agreed to spend an additional $6,873 for banners that will represent autumn, winter and the Christmas season.
The Flat Rock-Hawcreek School Corp. and the Yellow Trail Museum will also be allowed to submit their own banners for consideration, Owens said.
