There has been yet another - and perhaps final - twist in the saga of yellow ribbons and the Green.
On Tuesday, the Borough of Litchfield's Board of Warden and Burgesses overturned its previous ruling by voting to allow five ribbons to be hung on trees on the center section of the Green.
The vote came after a lengthy discussion between the board and a group of local residents who want the ribbons to go back up in a show of support for men and women serving in the military.
Five ribbons hung in November by Val and Leslie Caron of Bantam and others came down last month after the borough board ruled they were not permitted. The board, in an effort to compromise, authorized one large ribbon for the center Green and a "Support the Troops" flag and five yellow ribbons for the flagpole on the Green.
But that wasn't enough for the Carons and their group. They called the borough's flag and ribbons nice, but still wanted their five ribbons to go on trees.
After hearing public comment Tuesday, the borough board gave in. Peter Gay and Victoria Sansing, the only burgesses at the meeting, voted to allow the ribbons. Warden Lee Losee didn't have to vote. The three other burgesses didn't attend the meeting.
The large ribbon hung on Tuesday morning will be among the five the borough will allow. The ribbons will represent the five branches of the military: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard. Borough board members plan to hang the four other ribbons soon and have invited the Carons and others to participate.
Last night's action has likely ended three months of controversy over the five ribbons, which appeared on the Green in late November and replaced ribbons that had appeared and disappeared over the previous six years.
The large yellow ribbon hangs from a three near the water fountain and the plan is to adorn it with smaller ribbons embroidered with the names of local servicemen and women. Judy Tringali, a Litchfield seamstress, has volunteered to embroider the names on the smaller ribbons.
There is an application process for the smaller ribbons. Applications are available at Town Hall and in the drop box outside the borough office.
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