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Nominations for next round of Veterans Banner Project underway; Kehoe visits park
By Gina Williams
Standard Democrat
SIKESTON — The second round of nominees for the Sikeston Honors Veterans Banner and Light Project are now being accepted.
On Tuesday, March 19, officials from the city of Sikeston, Sikeston Veterans Park Board and the American Legion along with Missouri Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe visited Veterans Park to view the new banners and discuss the project.
Kathy Medley, director of the Sikeston Convention and Visitors Bureau, expressed her excitement for Kehoe to return and see the veteran banners and lights at the park.
“Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe has been a supporter of the Sikeston Honors Veterans Banner and Light Project since we started planning last year,” Medley said. “It was a pleasure to show him the completed project in Veterans Park.”
Medley also spoke with the group about the project’s origin and the application process.
According to Medley, the initiative to recognize local veterans and improve Veterans Park began by the Sikeston Convention and Visitors Bureau, Sikeston Parks and Recreation and Sikeston Veterans Park Committee.
Medley attended a meeting in Emporia, Kansas, the birthplace of Veterans Day celebrations in 1953, and brought back to Sikeston the concept of the veterans banner project, which was completed in November with the first set of banners featuring local veterans.
“The project installed 16 period light posts on the east and west border of Veterans Park with banners displaying a picture of area veterans, their name, rank and branch of service,” Medley said.
Medley said the Veterans Park holds a lottery each year before Veterans Day to select 16 new veterans to be honored from the applications that are turned in to the Sikeston Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau office.
“The new banners will be installed for Veterans Day, and the current banners will be retired and given to the applicant or veteran’s family for a keepsake,” Medley said. “The Sikeston Honors Veterans banner application is open year-round. You can apply at any time. We will keep all applications on file for the next lottery drawing.”
To apply for the next lottery drawing, Medley said to just fill out the application from their website or stop by the Sikeston Convention and Visitors Bureau office for an application. Applicants do not have to reapply each year.
“If your application is drawn, then you will be contacted for the banner fee which is $125 and any additional information needed,” Medley said.
Medley said veterans honor banners have been implemented in other communities across the country, but what distinguishes the Sikeston Honors Veterans Banners is that each light post with a banner displays a QR code that directs cell phone users to a website.
“The QR code directs you to our website where each veteran’s picture and military history is displayed,” Medley said. “This makes visiting Veterans Park and viewing the banners more interpretive. It is educational for kids and interesting to anyone who enjoys military history.
She continued: “This project and the new brochure also puts a spotlight on Veterans Park, which has an interesting history, and is a great tourism asset for the City.”
Medley said family members can apply on behalf of a deceased veteran and all Veterans of all branches of service are eligible to apply.
Details and the applications for the lottery drawing are available at www.sikeston.net/sikeston-honors-veterans or the Sikeston Chamber and CVB office, 128 N. New Madrid St., in Sikeston. The deadline to submit an application to be considered in this year’s lottery is Oct. 16.