The Boothbay Register was notified by Jim Singer May 15 that at least 50 of the American Legion’s brackets, which are attached to utility poles to hold the veterans’ banners, went missing over the winter. And this week, Lisa Walby of Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce let the newspaper and Singer know that most of the Chamber’s brackets, used to hold the Boothbay Lights banners, were also missing.

Singer, who started the Veterans Banners project, was informed of the missing brackets by Boothbay Harbor Public Works Foreman Nick Upham. The public works workers help erect the banners before Memorial Day and take them down after Veterans Day.

Upham told Singer he had mentioned the missing brackets to a Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office deputy.

“The sheriff’s department was investigating another theft case regarding, I believe, phone wire or fiber optic wire. I took a picture of one of the brackets I had and asked him to check and see if anything like this was seen in the search for the cable. I told him we were missing some and if they were to come across brackets like the ones I sent him in a picture to please let us know,” said Upham in an email to the newspaper. Upham said he did not file a formal complaint with LCSO and Boothbay Harbor Police Chief Doug Snyder hadn’t received a formal complaint.

Wednesday, May 22, Sue Burge of the Veterans Banners committee, stopped into the Chamber office and discussed the missing brackets with Walby.

“When we ordered our brackets a couple of years ago, we had discussed that we would order the same brackets so that we could cross-use them for veterans banners and Boothbay Lights banners,” said Walby in an email to Singer and the newspaper.

“The first year I don’t believe you (Legion) had veterans banners in the downtown area, ours didn’t make it up as planned … maybe two or three did. This past year your brackets were not there, so I assumed whoever took down your banners took the brackets down. We again were only able to get three or four banners put up.

“Now as we looked today, it appears we are also missing our brackets. We had ordered 25 sets, and it looks like we can only account for two sets of actual brackets at the Chamber office right now. We have poles and the strapping but not the brackets themselves. Plus, the three or four sets left on the poles.

“I am at a loss as to where they all could be.”

Singer said the committee has ordered replacements of the aluminum brackets and would accept donations to help pay for them.

“We expect to receive them so all of the banners can be placed by Memorial Day,” said Singer. “We aren’t missing the poles that hold the banners, just the brackets. The poles are taken down with the banners.”