Current “Hometown Hero” banners in Jim Thorpe will be taken down later this year, but borough officials are hopeful the program will start up again in the future.

In a program spearheaded around five years ago by the Jim Thorpe Lions Club and member Jimmy Trainer, who passed away earlier this year, residents honored family members or friends who served in the military by sponsoring banners with pictures of them, which were then hung on utility poles around town.

Council President Greg Strubinger said they are being take down because of wear and tear.

“The Lions Club did a great job implementing that program, but almost all of the banners are really worn out and in bad shape,” Strubinger said. “We didn’t want to leave them up looking like that so we are going to be taking them down after Veterans Day.”

Anyone who sponsored one of the banners, he said, can pick it up. Banners not claimed will be respectfully retired in a fashion similar to an American flag.

“If someone wants the banner they sponsored, we’re asking them to contact the borough office,” Strubinger said.

The borough office can be reached at 570-325-3025.

Despite the banners coming down, Strubinger said the borough is kicking around ideas on how to start a new sponsorship campaign.

“We want to do this again, although we’re not exactly sure what that’s going to look like at this point,” he said. “We welcome any groups with any suggestions as far as helping to get this program up and running again.”