Updated hero banners coming back
Town adding 150th anniversary logo to veterans’ tributes
LANSDALE » If you miss seeing red, white and blue around Lansdale, don’t worry, it’ll be back in 2021.
Council has voted unanimously to reauthorize display of “Hometown Hero” banners all around town, with one minor but visible change.
“The banners will be on display for the 2021 and ‘22 seasons, from approximately May 1 of ‘21 and ‘22, and ending November 12 of 2021 and ‘22,” said organizer Anne Henning-Scheuring.
“‘Lansdale’s 150th Anniversary’ will be scrolled across the top of each banner, to signify a special historical period in Lansdale, and Lansdale’s commitment to honoring our Lansdale borough hometown heroes,” she said.
Starting in 2016 Henning-Scheuring has coordinated the display of red, white and blue decorative banners featuring photos of local veterans and details about the conflicts they fought in, on light poles all around town. The program grew from a first estimate of roughly 50 banners that year to a total of more than 400 once orders came in, and a cap of 500 for subsequent years, and Lansdale’s banners were last renewed in early 2019 for two years.
The program has since expanded to Hatfield and Upper Gwynedd townships and North Wales Borough, the borough now maps the banners online, and Henning-Scheuring was honored in 2017 with the Lansdale Historical Society’s Edwin G. Holl Historical Achievement Award for the banner program.
During council’s Dec. 2 meeting, Henning-Scheuring gave the administration and finance committee a preview of the new look, and full council subsequently approved it two weeks later. While pricing and timeline will largely stay the same as in prior years, Henning-Scheuring told the committee, the updated banner design now includes the words “150th Anniversary” at the top, above “Lansdale Borough Hometown Heroes,” and Henning-Scheuring said she thought updating the banners
early made sense so local veterans or families would not have to pay for two new sets of banners ahead of the borough’s 150th anniversary in 2022.
Council’s administration and finance and public works committees both unanimously recommended the banners ahead to full council on Dec. 2, and full council approved the program two weeks later. A limited number of spaces are available for those interested in taking part; anyone interested can contact Henning-Scheuring at 215-8551743 or heroes@verizon.net.
2021 appointments approved: Council also voted unanimously on Dec. 16 to approve a series of re-appointments to various borough boards and commissions.
“Some are a little behind, some are right on time as it turns out, but these are all folks who have already served in the capacity in which we are reaffirming them, or extending their term,” said council President Denton Burnell.
Individual motions were needed for reappointments to the borough’s zoning hearing board “because of its quasi-judicial nature,” Burnell said, before council Vice President Mary Fuller read the resolutions. Nominated and then approved unanimously for the zoning board were members Constance Lezenby for a term running through 2023, Benjamin Engleman for a term running through 2022, and William Kienzle as an alternate member of the ZHB through 2022.
Other reappointments approved unanimously included:
Economic Development Committee — Alexander Felts and Richard Strahm, each for two-year terms expiring July 31, 2022; Rege McKenzie, for a two-year term expiring Sept. 30, 2022.
Planning Commission — Mike Panachyda, for a fouryear term expiring March 31, 2023; Kevin Dunigan, for a four-year term expiring Sept. 30, 2024.
Human Relations Commission — Aurelia Henry, for a three-year term expiring Dec. 31, 2022.
Grant program framework now on books: Council also approved an ordinance establishing the framework for an emergency grant program in the future.
Council began talks on a local grant program in August, as a way to help those who have lost income due to business closures related to COVID-19. Staff have since been referring those in need to local nonprofit Manna on Main Street for aid via the federally-funded “Your Way Home” grant program, and borough finance director John Ramey gave the latest statistics from that program as of Dec. 2.
“The application period has ended, as of Nov. 30. They received 665 applications, and they have only gotten through 283, so 43 percent” as of that date, Ramey said.
Of the 283 processed to that date, 74 were denied for various reasons, such as not living in the county, asking for expenses not covered by the program, and having rent or utilities that were not yet past due — and one particularly baff ling one, Ramey told council.
“The landlord isn’t interested in working with the program. I just don’t get why landlords would not want money given to them,” he said.
As of Dec. 2, Manna had distributed $641,000 via the “Your Way Home” program to all recipients approved to date, out of an allocated funding amount of $2.5 million, and Lansdale Electric had received about $21,000 of that amount for payment of past due electric bills.
“We’ve started counting every check, and documenting, so we know exactly how much we received from Manna in this program,” Ramey said.
Future updates should provide more clarity once the Dec. 31 deadline for allocating disbursed funds passes, Ramey said, and he and staff are monitoring the ongoing debate at the federal level about extending COVID-related unemployment benefits and other aid.
The framework ordinance would not be used for COVID-19, but staff have said it could be used to set up a similar local program faster for future emergencies. That framework ordinance was passed by an eight-to-one vote on Dec. 16, and councilwoman Carrie Hawkins Charlton cast the only vote against, due in part to concerns about the legal costs to develop the local ordinance while other programs such as “Your Way Home” are already providing direct aid.
Employee commended for help with Santa letter: Borough Manager John Ernst shared a letter from Police Chief Mike Trail praising town Communication Coordinator Tracy Flynn for helping a resident who was experiencing a mental health crisis earlier this month.
“While reviewing letters from the borough Santa House project, Tracy came upon a letter one subject wrote, relating to his depression follow ing the breakup of a romantic relationship,” Ernst said.
“In the letter, the subject related how he wished Santa could bring her back, and expressed remorse about the loss of her love and affection,” he said.
Upon reading the letter, according to Ernst and Trail, Flynn sent it to police, who dispatched an officer to investigate. Later that day, borough and Upper Gwynedd officers met the subject at his home, and were able to connect him with the necessary counseling services.
“The actions of Tracy in this matter are commendable, and are a credit to her as an individual, and the borough of Lansdale,” Ernst said, adding that Trail plans to recognize Flynn during the department’s annual recognition ceremony on Jan. 20.
Borough council next meets at 8:45 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2021; for more information visit www.Lansdale.org.