With winter approaching, it makes sense that the replacement of damaged veterans bricks in Diamond Park won't take place until warm weather arrives next year — although two summers should not have passed without the repairs having been done.

But despite the fact that a repair plan seems to be in place, perhaps county officials should take another look at the issue. They might avert possible future problems with the bricks by opting for an arrangement other than the current Rings of Honor.

Perhaps installing the bricks on a wall that would complement what exists in Diamond Park would be a better, longer-lasting approach than having the bricks, which are called pavers, subjected to the freeze-and-thaw cycles associated with being in the ground.

That's an idea put forth by a Butler Eagle reader in response to the news that the repair project has been pushed back to spring.

With a contractor still to be selected to create space for bricks that will be relocated and to fill the vacated ring in front of the Our Silent Defender statue, there's still time for county officials to rethink the work to be done and to determine what's really the best long-term solution to the bricks issue.

It's logical to wonder how many families might have opted not to purchase the pavers if they had known that they would be so fragile.

Even if the work proceeds as envisioned, the question remains whether the county will be facing the same troubling issue a few years from now, even if on a smaller scale.

The main point is that the bricks should honor the veterans whose names appear on them. The laudable intent behind having the bricks has been undermined by the cracking and crumbling of some of the pavers.

The weather has been blamed for causing the damage, along with snow-removal equipment that has been driven over them. Also blamed has been road salt applied to Main Street that subsequently was splashed onto the bricks by passing vehicles.

But the thickness of the bricks also is a problem. They should be significantly thicker than what they are to withstand the elements and other threats.

That's why the idea of a wall is not unreasonable; it would keep pedestrians as well as equipment off the pavers and presumably would make it easier for park visitors to read the names of the veterans who are being honored.

Some of the families whose bricks have been damaged have expressed unhappiness over how slowly the repair arrangements have proceeded. That unhappiness is justified.

However, the delay also has provided time for the county to rethink the situation.

County officials should make the best use of that window to ensure that this repair effort will not have to be repeated.