A Gillett man’s proposal to hang banners honoring local veterans downtown is a step closer to fruition.
Michael Kohn brought two sample banners to the March 6 meeting of the Gillett City Council and said he’s ready to move forward with the council’s permission. DotCom Branding of Shawano produced the first two banners and is prepared to make them all, he said.
“I’ve had six different people come up to me and say we’d like to make a banner,” Kohn said. “I’ve told them I wanted to wait until I get approval from the city.”
Working with the city public works and utilities departments, Kohn said they have identified 20 light poles downtown where the banners could hang. The veterans’ families would pay for the banners, so the city’s only cost would be for the labor.
He suggested putting the banners up a week before Memorial Day and taking them down after Labor Day to avoid the rough weather of winter and fall.
“With these winds we’ve been having, they’d be ripped to shreds in nothing flat,” Kohn said.
Council members asked about displaying them around Veterans Day, and while Kohn was concerned about November weather, Alderperson Irene Drake suggested they could be placed in the school auditorium during its Veterans Day program.
Mayor Jon Blaskowski said they will put the matter on the Utilities Committee agenda for a recommendation and vote at the April 3 council meeting
“I don’t think anybody’s going to shoot this down, not to honor our vets,” Kohn said. “If people want banners, I’m going to say let’s roll with it.”
wbluhm@newmedia-wi.com
Veterans banner proposal advances
