By Jennifer Madrigal

Eastvale – As you drive down Archibald Street, south of Schleisman Road, the faces and names of our City’s active military men and women wave above. The Military Banner Program honoring our local heroes has blossomed into nearly 40 banners. But the hot and windy conditions that the area has been experiencing lately have left 18 of the 39 banners missing. Those that do remain are battered and some are barely hanging on.
At the May 14 City Council meeting, City Manager, Carol Jacobs, explained to the Council her worries about the banners. “The winds are blowing them down and ruining them, which ends up wasting money when they have to be continually replaced,” said Jacobs. She suggested that the City look into other ways to honor our active duty military personnel that perhaps doesn’t involve the banners. Jacobs also stated that she would be working with JCSD and staff to have a meeting to discuss a more permanent, collaborative program to honor the military, like a military wall of honor.

Council Member Jeff DeGrandpre suggested to Jacobs that, “We need to ask surrounding cities what they do to keep banners up.” Cities like Ontario and Norco also have a similar program and share the same weather conditions, another point which was presented by the Council.

One of the possible solutions brought up by Jacobs was the purchase of new, sturdier and more flexible brackets that would allow the banners to bend with the wind. The current brackets and banners are rated for 60mph winds, where these newer ones are built to withstand 80mph. According to the City of Eastvale’s website, the current banners cost $177.47 with the bracket cost being $61.10 of the total. The new brackets would push the cost of each banner to between $350 and $400 – a significant jump of up to $284 per bracket.

The Eastvale Military Banner Program is funded completely by donations from local businesses, residents and supporters. JCSD graciously volunteers their manpower and equipment to hang them. The Eastvale Community Foundation, which has raised funds to cover the program, plans to continue to raise funds with events like the upcoming golf tournament to help cover the costs.

While Jacobs would like to see the current program put on hold for six to nine months while they look for other possible solutions, the military banners are a very emotional subject throughout this community. City of Eastvale Public Information Officer, Michele Nissen, explained to the Council that a previous staff member had done some research into how to establish a military banner program and that she would look into his research as well as do some additional research. The meeting concluded with Jacobs’ assurance that they would do some research and bring back some options to a future Council meeting for the Council to take into consideration.

Many citizens of Eastvale take great pride in our military banners and the thought of not seeing them brings about a sense of sadness and loss. According to Eastvale Community Foundation Board Member, Sharyn Link, “Some of the banners were bought with proceeds from golf tournaments and various other fundraisers as a way to honor our military. We would hate to not have them there. They provide a sense of pride to our community and we must find a way to keep them up.”

While the current state of the banners seems dire, other cities have been able to keep their banners up by making them smaller and using stronger brackets. According to the City of Norco, “We have had success with smaller banners and stronger brackets and over time we have found the best solution for us.”

Law Enforcement and Fire Fighters (LEAFF) President, Rigo Arellano, feels that “Although we understand the economic decisions of not wasting money on banners that will be destroyed, we feel it shouldn’t stop the program. Instead, we would like the City to look for more effective and efficient ways to replace the banners with stronger hardware. Although it may cost more, it would mitigate the problem and ensure the Military Banner Program continues in our great city.”

The fate of the Military Banner Program and possible ways to improve it will be discussed at a future City Council meeting. City Council Meetings are held usually on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month and the next one is on Wed., May 28, 6:30 p.m., at Rosa Parks Elementary School.