American flags go up over state Route 2 in Amherst in honor of Veterans Day

For the sixth year in a row, a group of volunteers took time out of their Saturday morning to hang American flags on an overpass over state Route 2 in Amherst in honor of Veterans Day. Veteran mentors and volunteers affiliated with the Lorain County Veterans Treatment Court, joined by Probate Judge Jim Walther, Domestic Relations Judge Lisa Swenski and her husband, Zach Simonoff — defense counsel for Veterans Treatment Court and a U.S. Army National Guard veteran — placed the flags in observance of the holiday honoring those who served in the U.S. armed forces. The seven total volunteers who participated Saturday met at the American Legion Post 118 at Oakpoint Road and North Lake Street at 9 a.m. Saturday and walked up to the Route 2 overpass to zip-tie the flags to the chain link fences there. Five of the seven who showed up are veterans. Only Walther and mentor Jake Kucbel's preteen son were not. Cars going up and down Oakpoint Road and headed west on Route 2 honked in support while the volunteers worked, Walther said. The effort started in 2018 as a community service project of the Veterans Treatment Court to contribute to the community and acknowledge Veterans Day, Walther said. He oversees the special docket treatment court, that helps veterans in trouble with the law get mental health and addiction treatment and other resources. Walther said the weather was pleasant Saturday — in 2018, volunteers endured 22-degree weather and "gale-force winds," he recalled — and the project went quickly. Veterans service organizations including Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1662 and American Legion Post 118, the Lorain County Veterans Service Commission, which provides the flags, have been there in support since the beginning Walther said other installations will take place in Avon, coordinated by American Legion Post 211 in Avon Lake, and in Sheffield, where Veterans Treatment Court mentor coordinator and VSC board member Joe Gee has taken charge. "We look at this as a community service project," Walther said. "The Veterans Treatment Court has received so much support from the community, from the Veterans Service Commission, the Veterans Administration, Lorain County, the (Samuel L Felton Jr.) Valor Home and others, that when we get the opportunity, it's nice to be able to give a little back to the community." Walther keeps zip-ties in his car in case he passes by the display and sees that the flags are coming loose. He also has people who keep an eye out on the flags for that same reason. The flags will remain up for about two weeks, before being taken down to prevent weathering and wear. They also are removed to ensure that the spirit of Veterans Day isn't lessened, Walther said. Walther says he often gets asked from time to time why the flags aren't left up all year. He said if they were, it wouldn't be a specific acknowledgement of Veterans Day. "We really are trying to do it for people to acknowledge there is a day coming up on which we acknowledge the service and sacrifice of our veterans," he said. Contact Dave O'Brien at (440) 329-7129 or dobrien@chroniclet.com. Follow him at @daveobrienCT on X, formerly Twitter.