Military banners going up; online ceremony may be held City will also continue some openings of facilities
The Military Banners are going up. Banners for those who had already purchased them before 2020 to honor their loved ones who served or are serving in the military are now going back up around the city of Porterville. The new banners purchased by those to honor their loved ones with military experience will be hung next week.
It’s planned for all the banners to be up in time for May 22 and no later than Memorial Day. Under the guidance of state and local health authorities, the 2020 Porterville Military Banner Ceremony scheduled for May 22 has been canceled.
“While this announcement comes with tremendous disappointment, we take the health and safety of our community very seriously,” City of Porterville Parks and Leisure Services stated.
City of Porterville Parks and Leisure Services Director Donnie Moore, though, said it’s still hoped some kind of online ceremony can be held. The city is hoping to provide some kind of ceremony on its Youtube Channel, he said.
There will be a total of 629 banners hanging around Porterville by Memorial Day. More than 200 banners were purchased in 2020 alone and those banners will be going up next week.
Moore said there are a few spots left on Plano for those banners to go. He said the rest of the new banners will be displayed on Olive Avenue all the way to Westwood.
Notices are being mailed out to those who purchased banners with details on where the banners are. An online
line interactive military banner map will also be available beginning May 22 at http:// www.ci.porterville.ca.us/ Maps will also be available at City Hall.
Because there will be no in-person ceremony, Moore said the City of Porterville is purchasing what will likely be a two-page ad that will display the faces of all the more than 200 military personnel who are honored on the new banners this year in the Porterville Recorder. It will be featured in the Recorder sometime next week.
The banners have traditionally been displayed from Memorial Day until Veterans Day. Moore said the city will look at displaying the banners permanently and leaving them up yearround.
Those who want to pick up their photos they submitted for the military banner can do so at the Parks and Leisure
Services office at City Hall beginning May 26. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and the office is closed from noon to 1 p.m daily.
The office will hold onto all photos for those who wish to wait to come by until after the COVID-19 crisis is over.
Those who haven’t heard from the city or can’t find their banner by May 26 should contact Parks and Leisure Services at parks_leisure@ci.porterville.ca.us or (559) 782-7536.
CITY FACILITIES STILL OPEN
Moore said recreational facilities such as the OHV Park, Porterville Municipal Golf Course and the city’s tennis courts will remain open based on state and county guidelines. The city opened up those facilities but still with restrictions. The guidelines can be found at http://www. ci.porterville.ca.us/ depts/parksandleisure/ Tulare County
Health and Human Services offered an amended emergency order on Friday which stated all recreational venues and gyms shall remain closed. But Moore said that refers to indoor recreational venues and skateparks. The skatepark at Veterans Park remains closed.
But Moore said the OHV Park will remain open with restrictions based on the latest state and county guidelines.
The county also stated any outdoor group sports or activities shall be postponed or canceled unless the sport or activity can be done individually.
But again Moore said such places as the Porterville Municipal Golf Course and tennis courts can stay open with restrictions while meeting those guidelines. Only singles play is allowed at tennis courts, for example, as doubles play isn’t allowed.