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s e r v i n g m i d va l l e y & u p pe r l ac k awa n n a va l l e y thevalleyadvantage.com |july 14, 2017
The Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel is under way |PAge 7
The Eynon-Archbald Lions Club donated a park bench |PAge 10
Mid Valley Elementary is hosting a YMCA program |PAge 11
Honoring Heroes Several communities are supporting banner program By Christopher Cornell
In Forest City, Hometown Heroes banners are on display on the walls of the ADVAntAGe eDitor museum at The Forest City Area Historical Society. There are parades a few times a year Banners have recently been hung in and there are other occasional tributes, Archbald as well. but many people seem happy to find “I speak for all the family of deceased more ways to honor veterans, especially and living veterans when I say: what an veterans they know or knew. Enter the Hometown Heroes project, in honor” said Manuel Griffin of Archbald’s which residents can pay a fee, supply a pho- American Legion post. “Words can’t exto of a beloved veteran and soon see turned plain the feeling to see these banners on our Main Street. We thank the Borough into a banner honoring that veteran. Council and the banner committee for all Four municipalities in our area have their hard work and time, especially Rob gotten on board with this program. Turlup for designing this banner and for Beginning in 2016, The Dickson City the crew that put them up.” Christmas Light & Decorative Banner Another group has begun taking orCommittee introduced the banner proders in Olyphant Borough. gram. The banners are non-political and The plan is to unveil the banners non-partisan. as part of a patriotic event tentatively “This effort is to serve as a living meschedule for Patriots Day, Sept. 11. A morial to those service men and women donation of $160 will purchase a 24-byfrom the Dickson City area that have 54-inch vinyl banner. Banners will hang served or are currently serving in our this year until the holiday season and military branches,” said Jeff Kovaleski, will again be hung from Memorial Day to one of the Dickson City organizers. Veterans Day of 2018. Each banner will Dickson City’s banners are hanging be returned to sponsors after two years from lamp posts on Main Street and as a keepsake or every effort will be made Boulevard Avenue. to have it placed on the pole in front of Family members and loved ones may purchase a banner themselves, but busi- that resident’s home at the time of retirement. nesses may also sponsor a banner for a Applications are available at the particular veteran or branch of service. Call 570-881-3697 or email the commit- Olyphant Borough Building, 113 Willow Ave., on a first-come-first-served basis. tee at dclightsandbanners@gmail.com. Deadline for phase one is Friday, Aug. 18. Call 570-383-9552 for more information. “The response has been outstanding,” said Kim Atkinson, one of the organizers in Olyphant. “I think families are so hapTS_CNG/ADVANTAGE/PAGES [A01] | 07/13/17
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Banners have recently been hung in Archbald.
py to have the opportunity to honor their veterans, either from the past or present. We have a WWI veteran as well as a POW from WWII, Vietnam, Desert Storm and some that are currently serving.” Atkinson also wanted to clarify a misconception she has heard. For example, she said she spoke to a resident whose father was a veteran. “She thanked me for doing the program, but when I asked if she was going to get a banner for him, she answered that,
yes, he was a veteran, but that he did not have any medals and was not a hero. “I want everyone to know that if a loved one served in any of the five branches of the service — Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines or Coast Guard, he or she is a hero. They have given their service and made every effort to keep us safe and free. Whether they served in a war zone, or here in the states or anywhere, if he or she is a veteran, he or she ios a hero. They are all our Hometown Heroes.”