Coaldale looks into banners recognizing veterans

A group of Coaldale residents plan to honor the town’s “Hometown Heroes.”

The borough is the latest to explore the idea of banners recognizing military veterans.

A group of volunteers appeared before council Tuesday night to propose the idea. Council endorsed it and voted 5-0 to begin the process of creating a program in Coaldale. They have been working with the local VFW.

“I think it would be really nice if we had them in our town. I talked to a bunch of people who absolutely want them,” Charlotte Bubon said.

Once the program is finalized, residents will be able to pay and submit photos of their loved ones to be used for banners located around the borough.

Mike Bellizia of Dawn’s Vinyl Designs has created banners for towns including Nesquehoning and Beaver Meadows. He said the banners evoke an emotional response from residents, and are always popular.

“Nobody has not been successful doing this. To sell out of whatever available poles there are. That’s just the standard,” he said.

The banners can last more than five years. Bellizia said some towns elect to take the banners down during the winter, which increases their life span.

He said with the hardware included, it costs about $165 per 2-by-4-foot banner. He said his company tries to use the best materials possible.

“It’s a very emotional thing. You’ll find families standing underneath them,” Bellizia said.

The borough still has to reach an agreement with PPL to get permission to put up the banners before they can go ahead with sales to residents.

Details about the program will be available in the coming months.

In other business

• Council accepted the resignation of Carl Faust as property code maintenance officer. He will remain the building and zoning code inspector.

• Council voted to have police handle call-outs for emergency street maintenance after taking issue with a borough employee working 10 hours during a recent snow event where other municipalities’ workers did not work as long.

• Council agreed to donate to Coaldale Fire Co. No. 1 a Ford Crown Victoria previously used by the police department.

• Mayor Herb Whildin announced he will be holding monthly hours for residents to meet with the mayor. They will take place the first Tuesday of the month at the borough building. A time hasn’t been determined.

• Council approved an actuarial study of the police pension plan at a cost of $1,500.