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s e r v i n g tay l or , ol d f or g e , moosic & surrounding areas triborobanner.com | June 22, 2017
A hose company and a VFW post hosted a poker run/barbecue|PAge 3
A University of Scranton student won a special award |PAge 5
An eighth-grader from Taylor was honored for top grades |PAge 9
Honoring Heroes Moosic plans a patriotic display By Josh McAuliffe
sPeciAl To The TRiBoRo BANNeR Moosic Borough and Sons of American Legion Post No. 604 are on a mission to honor its veterans in a more highly visible fashion. The borough is currently taking submissions and sponsorships for its first Hometown Heroes Banner Program. Conceived by borough administrator Jane Sterling, the program will involve designing custom-made banners of borough military veterans (living and deceased) and active-duty military personnel that will be placed at high-traffic intersections throughout the borough. The borough has room for 50 banners that will hang on street poles along Main Street, Birney Avenue, Spring Street and Route 502. “And, if a special request is made, we will do our best to place them where they ask,” said Sterling, noting the final decision is at the discretion of the borough. It costs $200 to sponsor each banner, and the deadline for the first round of submissions is Saturday, July 1. For full submission details, call Moosic borough at 570-451-5480, or visit moosicborough. com/hometownheroes. Sterling said she’s been thinking about initiating the project for some time. She received approval from borough council
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in April, and said that the council members and Mayor James Segilia have been “very supportive.” She looks at the project as a nonpartisan way to honor soldiers past and present. As she pointed out, Moosic is home to a high percentage of veterans, including two brigadier generals — John Gronski and the late Sid Davis. “What’s cool is that everyone will be able to drive around and look at (the banners),” she said. “I was kind of inspired when my daughter went to Afghanistan. … The Sons of American Legion inspired me, too. They do a beautiful service on Memorial Day.” Banner honorees need to be either a current active-duty member of the Armed Forces, or an honorably discharged or killed-in-combat veteran. In addition, they need to be a lifelong Moosic resident, or have a relative currently living in the borough. So far, Sterling has 10 banner commitments, yet needs five more to complete the first order. In addition to individual families, she’s lobbying borough businesses for sponsorships. The banners will be unveiled in a ceremony set for Sept. 11, and will remain on display until the summer of 2019. “After the two years it flies, we’re going to return the banners to the families,” Sterling said. The banners will be produced by Bethlehem-based Rileigh’s Outdoor Décor. “We’ve gotten our Christmas banners from them. They’re great; they do a wonderful job,” Sterling said.
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A sample of the banners that will soon be flown in Moosic.
Appearance-wise, the banners will be modeled on a design that Sterling’s daughter-in-law did for the banner of Marine Corps veteran Robert F. Bennie. Each banner will include the soldier’s picture, branch of service and era of service. The sponsor’s name will be prominently displayed at the bottom of the banner.
If the project takes off, the banners will likely become an ingrained part of the borough landscape, according to Sterling. “It’s really important to honor our veterans,” she said. “I think it’s a great endeavor. And I hope people get into the spirit of it for Moosic borough.”