WINNEMUCCA — The project in which banners were hung along Haskell St. honoring locals serving in the military was so successful organizers have run out of space.

The American Legion Auxiliary project began in Sept 2009 with the intention of honoring active-duty military personnel by hanging a banner with their name and picture on it.

The Auxiliary alternated use of the poles with Humboldt General Hospital, who put up promotional banners on every other pole.

Along the way families began to request banners be hung to honor veterans, as well, and HGH took down their promotional banners so the project could utilize all the poles.

Two and a half years later the city has once again run out of poles, but this time there are fewer easy options.

The poles along Haskell St. were designed for banners, so there’s no going over to Winnemucca Blvd. for more space because the carriage lights do not have the fixtures necessary to hang banners.

At the meeting of the City Council on Tuesday (Jan. 24) Mayor Di An Putnam promoted Veterans Park on US 95 as the place for banners honoring veterans – leaving the banners for active-duty personnel on Haskell St.

But there are a number of problems with the Veterans Park location, not the least of which is the lack of poles to hang them.

City Manager Steve West noted a wire could be installed and the banners hung from the wire, but then they’ll be beat up by the wind.

Councilman Doug Cain observed the wind at Veterans Park is so brisk the flags hanging there now have to be changed out six times a year.

Ideally, West noted, the banners should be hung inside or against a wall to protect them from the elements.

Putnam reminded the council the original intention for the banners was they be visible for the community.  If they were to hang the banners inside, for example, at the Events Complex, they lose that visibility.

There was also some discussion the banners could be rotated at the Haskell St. location to accommodate them all, but that would represent a lot of work for city personnel.  The purchase of additional poles would be too expensive.

No conclusion was reached and the city will continue to work with Paquette and Thon for a solution.