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Fiesta montage honors locals in active duty
By MELIA BOWIE, Times Staff Writer
NEW PORT RICHEY -- Beyond the bright lights and revelry at Chasco Fiesta is a small board laden with photos of Pasco's servicemen and women. "Hurry home" implores a note beside the image of a uniformed young man. "We miss you!" says another. And beside Marine Sean Paul Petersen's photo is a message from his family: "Thank you for your courage to stand up for what you value . . . may the good Lord keep you safe so you can return to us soon." The 25-year-old from New Port Richey is in Iraq. For now, the wall of photos honoring him and others actively serving in the military sits at the Bank Street entrance to Sims Park -- placed there by Chasco organizers. But Monday the growing wall will have a new home inside New Port Richey's City Hall. "We're planning to move it on Monday after Chasco is completed," City Manager Gerald Seeber said. "We have a bulletin board that we took and mounted in the main corridor of City Hall." The wall's popularity demanded a permanent home. Chasco organizers with family serving in the military came up with the idea for a tribute. "It started with four pictures and then 10," said county Commissioner Peter Altman, a Chasco steering committee member. "It's over 40 now." Altman said the wall was also meant to give residents who do not have family members in the military "the chance to see the faces of those who are already heroes." For those still adjusting to the idea of war, the images are surreal. When Daniel and Ellie Gray's son, Ronny Robert Wiemer, joined the Army's military police in October, they did not think he would be in any real danger. For now the 23-year-old is in Germany. His mother hopes he stays there. "He's pretty strong; he won't let me know if he's nervous," she said. While he is gone, the Grays, who live in New Port Richey, stop by the 4- by 8-foot wall at Chasco to see his face and those of others serving overseas. Organizers said there were no real rules regarding postings. Four- by 6-inch photographs are recommended, but other sizes are allowed. A paper identifying the person by name, unit, branch and hometown is encouraged, as are messages. Return addresses or contact information should be placed on the back of photos if residents want them returned. Those guidelines will remain when the images and notes are moved to the 4- by 7-foot bulletin board in City Hall. "It's our plan to keep it there until the people who are over there come home," Seeber said. Space might shrink as the war continues, but "we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."
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