The Slatington borough fireman statue has returned to its homebase on Main Street and was rededicated Monday during a Sept. 11 ceremony.

Residents snapped photos and took video of it as the Hose Company No. 1 presented therefurbished statue to the town.With the help of the borough fire and police departments the Main Street block was shut down for 20 minutes while congratulations, gratitude and remembrance for those lost on the 16th anniversary attacks in New York; Washington, D.C.; and Pennsylvania."The statue has always been a big focal point in town," said Robert Stettner, a member of the 2017 Restoration Team."Anything that happens with the statue is a big to-do," he said.The statue underwent a few last-minute additions. A black sponge-painted effect was put on the base. Electricity was connected to the lantern and water was hooked up to the fountain."They did a lot of work in a short amount of time," borough fire Chief Jason Nicholas said."It is a fitting choice to do the rededication today. It really brings the community together," he said.David Altrichter, project engineer, greeted the crowd, giving a brief history of the iconic fixture and his own feelings on the antique guardian of the Main Street corner."This Slatington landmark means different things to different people. In 1979 our statue was lying broken on the sidewalk. The community rallied around us to restore it," he said."After 9/11 it took on a different meaning for me. It represents the best in all of us, The very idea of men and women willing to risk their lives is reflected in the statue. We do not know the names of the firemen on the front line fighting fire, but we see them in the statue. I see the volunteers who reach out a helping hand," Altrichter said.Jodi Nestor filled in for 183rd District Rep. Zachary Mako and presented a certificate to the restoration team and Hose Company No. 1 to show appreciation for "refurbishing the fountain and keeping the lantern burning in our town," she said.Project manager George Kern took over the podium to give awards of appreciation to members of the community.He listed the Borough of Slatington Maintenance Department, Kalei Fister, Marc Grammes, artist and repainter John Stettner, along with Altrichter and Tom and Mark Szoke of Steel Construction Services for the design and fabrication of the new mounting system of the statue."The biggest challenge was getting the plate manufactured to suit the existing structure," Tom Szoke said."We had to remove the existing one and had a suitable one to put on. Dave engineered it and we fabricated it," he said.The job took roughly six hours to complete."We spent more time making sure the templates measured up correctly. Making sure the bolt-holes matched up. Everything had to be perfect," he said."They redid it at just the right time. If they had waited we wouldn't have been able to do it. We would've had to redo the whole inside. This is the oldest piece I've worked on. It was an honor to be involved," Szoke said.The Northern Lehigh School District's "The Treble Makers," under the direction of James Schnyderite, led the crowd through a group singing of "God Bless America" to close the program.