Sean C. Morgan
Sweet Home Public Works crew members Friday put up 41 “honor banners” along Highway 20 from about the new City Hall, 3225 Main St., to Clover Memorial Park, the intersection of 1st Avenue and Highway 20.
The final banner went up during a ceremony at Clover Park. The banners, attached to Main Street power poles, honor veterans, carrying their names and information about them.
“A huge success,” said Lisa Gourley, who headed the project with her husband Jim Gourley. Responses she has heard have been positive. “I’m so excited the community came together. We actually picked up five more applications this weekend.”
“We had 50 people there on a Friday afternoon,” said Jim Gourley.
The Clover Park ceremony included an address by State Sen. James Manning of Eugene, a member of the Senate Interim Committee On Veterans and Emergency Preparedness. Linn County Commissioner John Lindsey also attended.
The first banner created was for Dean LeBret, a Public Works employee who is a U.S. Air Force veteran. Lisa Gourley said he put up his own banner during the cere-mony at the corner of 1st and Highway 20.
The banners will remain up through Veterans Day, Nov. 11, Lisa Gourley said.
They’ll still be up around the time of the parade through Sweet Home as the national Christmas tree leaves the area on Nov. 9, Gourley said, and Christmas decorations will go up prior to that.
“I think they’re going to try to use different poles,” she said, but it won’t be an issue at all next year when she hopes to expand the project.
Public Works staff members were “amazing” and “incredible” putting up the brackets and banners while preparing for the Hero Half and taking care of their regular duties, Lisa Gourley said.
The banners will come down after Veterans Day and go back up in the spring prior to Memorial Day, she said. Taking them down during the winter will help them last eight to 10 years.
Applications are still being accepted, and banners can still go up this year, she said. Applications are available at City Hall, 1140 12th Ave.; the Chamber of Commerce, 1575 Main St.; Key Bank, the intersection of 10th and Main; and the city website, sweet-home.or.us. Applications and information should be submitted to the city.