Coaldale hits snag with heroes banners

Marlene Paulus was one of the first to sign up when the idea of a “Hometown Heroes” banner program in Coaldale came about.

Her son, Brian Brossman, retired after 12 years in the Air Force, and died at his home in Lansford in 2016.

She and more than a dozen other family members hoped their $200 banners would be up by now. But the volunteers say they are facing unexpected costs.

“I just want to honor him,” Paulus said.

The banners have become a popular way of recognizing veterans. Several local towns have put them up in recent years.

Coaldale Borough Council has offered to put up the banners on behalf of the volunteers. But the volunteer group say they are facing unanticipated costs to hang them.

PPL, the electric utility that owns the poles, says they must be inspected before the banners can go up. Volunteer Sherri Pengrin figured because the borough uses the light poles to display Christmas decorations, the banners would be OK too.

“I was told you have to call PPL. They said Coaldale doesn’t have permission to hang anything,” said Pengrin, who wants to honor her late brother, a soldier who lived in Coaldale.

Twenty-two banners have already been printed. Another 27 people have paid and are waiting for theirs to be printed.

PPL will inspect some poles for free, but they cap it at 25 per year, per municipality. The additional poles cost $35 each.

Pengrin said the volunteers built in a small profit margin — $37 per banner — that they planned on using for hardware, or replacing a damaged banner. She is concerned about spending that money to pay PPL.

“The borough can’t pay for it, and we make $37 each. That money goes toward hardware and maintenance,” she said.

Borough council members said at their meeting Tuesday night that they need PPL’s approval before they can go forward with putting up the banners. Council’s attorney, Robert Yurchak, said he went through the same process in nearby Nesquehoning borough.

“If something happens to the pole, PPL could hold the borough responsible for the cost,” Councilwoman Anne Girard said.

Pengrin suggested that other towns in the area have put up the banners, and she questioned whether they had gone through the approval process with PPL.

“My concern is they will set a precedent with us,” Councilwoman Claire Remington said.

In the meantime, Marlene Paulus’ banner for her son is complete, but she is unable to hang it. She said she may give it to her granddaughter as a memory of her father.

“I just don’t want my banner to be thrown out,” she said.