City adds welcome banners to utility poles
May 15—The city of Meadville's Beautification Committee is living up to its name.
The committee arranged for the creation of 32 "Welcome to Meadville" banners that were placed on utility poles late last month.
"We are so happy we got them up, especially before (Allegheny College's) graduation and Second Saturday," said committee member Sarah Chapp. "Our hope is eventually to expand so we can go out further than just downtown."
The vertical banners were placed on streetlights around the city's central business district and feature one of several images: French Creek, the Market House, Shippen Fountain in Diamond Park, and the Baldwin-Reynolds House Museum. Below the images are the city logo and the "Welcome to Meadville" message.
Future additions could include more selections for the images as well as more banner locations, according to Chapp.
The motivation behind the project was a "no brainer," she added, since something like this was needed.
"Most cities, when you first go into town, you see banners on light posts," she said. "We wanted to invoke pride in our beautiful city."
The banners were produced by Fine Print Commercial Printers Inc. of Meadville, according to Chapp, and were placed on lampposts by the city's Public Works Department.
The total cost for the banners was $2,720, according to City Planner Peter Grella. Donations of nearly $3,000 to the Beautification Committee from 2019 to 2021 supported the project, he added.
Plans call for the banners to be removed during the winter season and redistributed in spring.
The early reaction to the banners has been extremely positive, according to Chapp, with typical responses asking if there are plans to add more or recommending other locations where banners should be placed.
Mike Crowley can be reached at (814) 724-6370 or by email at mcrowley@meadvilletribune.com.
