Two Cheboygan businesses support Hometown Heroes banner project

CHEBOYGAN — Two Cheboygan businesses have stepped up and purchased brackets needed to hang the History of Hometown Heroes banners throughout the city, a cost previously placed on the veteran or person purchasing the banner.

At a previous Cheboygan City Council meeting, Cheboygan resident and Vietnam veteran Pat Bolen requested the city help purchase the brackets. At the May 10 council meeting, he updated the council members on the two businesses now making the purchase.

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"One of the reasons I love living in Cheboygan, Ryba Marine and Lume made a donation," said Bolen. "They bought the brackets."

Abby Cherry, founder of the History of Hometown Heroes program, said due to the efforts of Cheboygan County Veterans, the History of Hometown Heroes group, the city's Downtown Development Authority and the supportive local businesses, this purchase of the brackets brought the cost of the banners down by $200.

"From $350 to $150," said Bolen.

Bolen and Tom Smith of the Cheboygan County Veterans Memorial Park Committee went to Sault Ste. Marie, where Cherry is based out of, to pick up the brackets last Thursday. The two planned to bring the brackets back to the city and would work with city officials on where to store them until they could be installed.

Three hundred of the brackets were purchased from the Chippewa County Community Foundation. They are the devices that were used to display banners in Sault Ste. Marie for the past two years, however Sault Ste. Marie chose to purchase different brackets and the older ones — which are still in good shape — were sold to Cheboygan.

"I feel this is a great collaboration with our local veterans organizations, History of Hometown Heroes, the city and the Main Street-DDA to honor various veterans within our community," said Cheboygan Main Street-Downtown Development Authority Executive Director Polly Schneider.

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Once the brackets have been installed, they will become city property. These brackets will be installed on utility poles around Veterans Memorial Park on Court Street, as well as several other areas in the DDA's district and throughout the city.

Bolen said there were two electric companies from around the Cheboygan area that have volunteered their services and equipment to help the veterans put the banners up on the brackets each spring. The companies will also help the veterans take the banners down in late fall.

"Stan's Electric and Straits Electric were thrilled to be able to contribute to the honoring of their local hometown heroes," said Cherry.

The Cheboygan County Veterans Memorial Park committee members will store the banners when they have been taken down for the winter, to keep them safe and in good condition.

With the two businesses making the purchase of the brackets for displaying the banners, it brought the price of the banners down to a more affordable cost for veterans.

"We have four right now that are done that I'm going to try to bring them back with me Thursday, to put up before Memorial Day — mine, Don Spies' and two other people," said Bolen.

Cherry has to have 50 orders for banners in order to get the banners printed. It is the hope that once the first several are up and on display, people will start to purchase the banners.

"And the people, I can't speak for everybody, but a number of the people that paid the $350, the extra that they paid over and above the $150 now, they're just going to give that back to Abby," said Bolen. "They can buy banners for veterans around Cheboygan that can't afford them."

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Bolen thanked the city officials for their help and partnership to bring this program to the city. He said it will be a good thing for the city as it will bring more people downtown.

"I can't tell you how exciting it is to see all of this to come together from volunteers and city support. I have never worked with a better group of veterans," said Cherry. "You are very lucky to have such an amazing active veterans organization in Cheboygan and a community that supports them. I am excited to see this idea come to fruition in Cheboygan."

Cherry said the History of Hometown Heroes is looking forward to hearing and sharing the untold stories of Cheboygan's Hometown Heroes through this banner program.

To purchase a banner, or to learn more about the program, visit www.hhhbanners.com.

Contact Features Writer Kortny Hahn at khahn1@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @khahnCDT.