Hometown Heroes banners coming to Albion, with second group in Medina

Photo by Tom Rivers: A banner for Frank Berger hangs in the gymnasium at the Orleans County YMCA on May 19, during a reception before the banners were put out in Medina before Memorial Day. Banners for Bruce Burns, left, and Kenneth Edward Baehr are next to the one for Berger. Medina displayed 38 banners last year of veterans, with 63 more to be added this year.

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 January 2020 at 12:24 pm

ALBION –  The village is working to add Hometown Heroes banners this year in the downtown with a goal to have up to 40 in place by July. The banners would stay up until after Veterans’ Day in November.

Albion is following the example of Holley, Medina and Brockport in honoring veterans from the community. Albion is working to finalize the details for the program. The banners would be a maximum of $200, to be paid for by family or friends of a veteran. The cost may be less if the village can use existing hardware to secure the banners. That expense may drop to $150, said Mayor Eileen Banker, who is managing the program for Albion.

She has seen the banners in Holley, Medina and Brockport and said the display of portraits sends a powerful message.

“We should honor our veterans, the ones who are serving now and who come before us,” she said. “They made this country.”

Banker wants to know if there is interest from the Albion community in honoring veterans with the banners. People interested could send her an email at ebanker@villageofalbionny.com or call or text her at (585) 356-0686. She is aiming for late February to early March to submit an order for the banners. They would by 2 ½ feet by 5 feet, the same size as the ones in Medina.

Albion is capped at 40 spots for the banners on Main Street between Beaver Street to just past the Erie Canal, as well as on Bank Street, between Platt and Liberty streets.

There will be a form at the Village Office beginning on Jan. 22 for people interested in the program. Banker said they will go to people “on a first come, first served basis.”

In Medina, the banners go up just before Memorial Day. Albion has banners up promoting the Strawberry Festival until after that event the second Friday and Saturday in June. After the Strawberry Festival, the banners of veterans will be displayed. This year it likely won’t be until July.

Medina will add 63 more banners this year

The banners have been very popular in Medina. Last year, there were 38 displayed in the first year, with 63 more coming in May. The program is organized by Mary Woodruff, a Ridgeway town councilwoman.

The banners last year included current and previous soldiers from the community, with some going back to World War II.

The new group of banners this year includes one veteran from the Civil War. The banners will continue in the downtown on Main Street, and East and West Center streets, and on Park Avenue. New locations will be added this year farther down on East and West Center streets, Park Avenue, Pearl Street, West Avenue and South Main Street.

Woodruff said there likely will be a reception in May at the YMCA with the banners hung in the gymnasium.

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