Village of Lewiston to revisit 'Hometown Heroes' banner program

By Joshua Maloni

GM/Managing Editor

The Village of Lewiston and Veterans of Foreign Wars Downriver Post 7487 will again try and work toward adding “Hometown Heroes” banners within the municipality next spring.

This program, which honors military members, was discussed in the past year – but didn’t result in the placement of any banners. Mayor Anne Welch said her board was waiting for the VFW to hang one sample banner at the corner of Center and South Sixth streets to see how it would appear to passersby.

Trustee Dan Gibson asked to restart the conversation. He suggested the banners could be placed facing into the south Center Street walkway.

“Everybody’s worried about it impeding traffic. If you put it on the sidewalk side, so walkers can enjoy it, it’s not going to impede anything,” Gibson said. “It’s not going to impede parking, traffic, anything like that. People walking can see them and enjoy it.”

Welch suggested placing the banners on Portage Road and down toward Ridge Road, as that area is more wide-open.

VFW Quartermaster Vince Canosa said that “defeats the whole purpose of it.”

“This is considered a walking community, isn’t it? (The banners) are made to be in a walking community where the individuals can look at the banners,” he said. “Not where a person is driving 45 mph and stopping.”

Canosa noted the Village of Lewiston is the one local community not participating in the “Hometown Heroes” banner program.

The banners here could be 30-by-48 inches, or smaller, and placed on some or all of the village’s 120-plus antique light poles.

Canosa said banners are displayed from May through Veterans Day.

“It’s not like it’s a permanent thing,” he noted.

Lee Simonson, representing the citizen De-Sign Committee, said his group is opposed to the placement of any new signage along Center Street. He suggested placing the “Hometown Heroes” banners around the “Circle of Honor” veterans monument inside Academy Park.

“We think that’s a more appropriate spot,” Simonson said.

No decision was made, but trustees were favorable in their comments regarding the “Hometown Heroes” banners being placed above the south Center Street sidewalks.

“The pole is there; the flowers go on it. A banner next to it – I don't think that’s going to hurt anything – on the walk side” of the street, Welch said.

“We should try it, see what it looks like,” she added.