Memorial Day

FROM THE CITY MANAGER

Memorial Day

By Ken Striplin

Santa Clarita City Manager

The warm weather, a long three-day weekend and the smell of delicious meals being prepared on your barbecue are great reminders that the unofficial kick-off to summer has arrived. As we celebrate the Memorial Day holiday tomorrow with family and friends, it is important to keep in mind what this day is for — honoring the men and women who have served so bravely in our nation’s armed forces. This holiday is to memorialize their sacrifice, as well as their family’s sacrifice, for the preservation of our freedoms and the quality of life we hold dear.

I am proud to be a part of this great City that is comprised of so many military personnel and their families. Their contributions here at home, as well as throughout the country and overseas, make our City a wonderful place to work, live and raise a family. A great way to pay tribute to our local heroes is through the City’s Hometown Heroes Banner program and the Veteran’s Brick program.

The Hometown Heroes Banner program honors our local, actively-serving military men and women through a display of colorful banners featuring the hero’s photograph, name, rank and military branch. The banners are installed for Memorial Day, the Fourth of July and Veterans Day and proudly hang throughout Santa Clarita, offering families the opportunity to see their loved ones that may be thousands of miles away for months at a time. During Memorial Day, as well as the Fourth of July and Labor Day, I am filled with pride in our military members as I drive through Santa Clarita and see the many Hometown Heroes Banners that adorn our streetlight poles in the Canyon Country, Newhall, Saugus and Valencia communities.

The Veterans Brick program is a part of a permanent installation at Veterans Historical Plaza. The Plaza, located in the heart of Old Town Newhall, is one of the City’s 36 parks and offers residents the opportunity to reflect on the conflicts that our nation has endured through the bronze story stations that line the walkways. Also on the walkways at the Plaza, you will find bricks that have been engraved with the names of local veterans. Those bricks represent the brave men and women of our City that have committed to the continued freedom of our country.

Tomorrow, before you fire up your grill, jump in the pool or head out on the paseos for a family bike ride, consider heading over to the Plaza. It is the perfect place to bring your family for a walk through the park, enjoy the beautiful weather and show your gratitude for our community’s veterans who have given so much for our nation. You can also admire the Hometown Heroes banners that are on display throughout our City, and perhaps find one of your heroes on a banner. However you plan on enjoying this Memorial Day, take a few moments to remember the true meaning of this day and those brave men and women who it honors.

Ken Striplin can be reached at kstriplin@santa-clarita.com. The views expressed in his column are those of the City and do not necessarily reflect those of The Signal. 