Veteran banners prove popular in Westmoreland

Mar. 11--Delmont officials want to gauge residents' interest in purchasing banners for local veterans to be displayed throughout town.

If the response next door in Export is any indication, they're likely to prove popular.

"We've gotten about 70 orders and anticipate at least another 10 that are in the works," said Export Councilwoman Melanie Litz.

Export residents can purchase a banner for $150 through March 31.

In Delmont, borough officials said residents can purchase a banner for $105. The 2-by-4-foot banners will go on display from Memorial Day through Veterans Day, which is also the tentative plan in Export.

"Because this is the first time we've done this, we'd said originally that they would come down after Veterans Day, and the people who ordered them would then receive them," Litz said.

Export officials are also in the process of relocating the borough's military memorial from the American Legion property on Kennedy Avenue closer to the new section of the Westmoreland Heritage Trail which runs through downtown.

"That's part of the reason we did (the banners), and also in anticipation of the (annual Ethnic Food & Music) Festival being themed around the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II," Litz said.

The banners have shown up throughout Westmoreland County in recent years, including in Smithton, Latrobe and New Stanton.

"We have about 16 right now and, so far, we've kept them up all year round," said New Stanton Borough Manager Jeff McLaughlin. "We have an annual Veterans Day event here, and our council and residents really have a soft spot for veterans, which is why we introduced it here."

In Latrobe, city officials started the banner program last year and were pleased with the results.

"We started out with 10, and we've been getting a lot of phone calls about whether we're going to do them again," said city manager Michael Gray.

Banners in Latrobe can be purchased for $100 by contacting the city's finance department at 724-539-8548.

"We're going to do the program again, have them up from Memorial Day through Veterans Day and incorporate them, along with the other, similar banners we have, in our business district," Gray said.

In Export, banners can be ordered through the local historical society website, ExportHistoricalSociety.org. In Delmont, contact borough officials at 724-468-4422.

Patrick Varine is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Patrick at 724-850-2862, pvarine@tribweb.com or via Twitter .

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