Saturday, November 19, 2005
"SIGNS":
I was hesitant to climb on this horse, for obvious reasons, but it is a part of our City (town) government that, unless you have to go through the process, we know almost nothing about. Any business needs to advertise their presents and how do you do that?.....with a sign! Each business has their own special logo and wording, that they need to have, so as to be unique and attract customers. But at the same time you have the esthetics of the neighborhood to consider and even more important the distraction safety factor. It would be pretty boring if every sign was the same size, same background color, same letter size, same letter color, you get the idea. Being that each business is unique, lends itself to a plethora of shapes and sizes and colors. So.....we want to hang a sign out.....what's the process? Is there a pamphlet we can get at City (town) hall, giving us guidelines, criteria that the city would like us to follow in designing our sign? Or do we have to go to the sign commission and get it from them? Or do we just submit our design to the sign commission and cross our fingers, relying on their whim of the moment? Those of you in the know.....Learn us!.................................. IT's YOUR DIME!
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7 comments:
All I know is that I hear a million stories about people going before the planning board in this town and no matter what transpires, they always seem to have to agree to get new signage. It does make me wonder if someone's brother owns a sign shop and is getting all the referrals.
Then signs are just a way to flex the "we're in charge here" bone.
A more docile form of eminent domain. If we don't like you, we can control what you do by holding your sign hostage.
I would be willing to bet if you took a poll on Main Street asking the colors or shape or size of 10 average business's signs, you would get very few people who could describe any of them. AND, the ones they can, are probably unique non-conforming signs.
After all isn't that one of the purposes of hanging out your shingle, having a shingle that someone will remember?
Henry David Thoreau said it best.... "foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of simple minds". And, simple minds are much easier to control!
I don't think that Mayor-for-Life Barrett has anything but the best intentions for North Adams. He has always had a very intense and intimidating style. Anyone that had him as a teacher can certainly attest to that! And I have no doubt that that style has served him and the City well often. But I think he fails to see that the City needs him to guide it, not control it.
North Adams is a quaint and humble little New England city that is rich in history, natural beauty and diversity. It has seen times of prosperity and times of depression. It's been a hot-air balloon capital, a mill town, an All American City and now a blossoming arts meca. These are the things that should be celebrated. The Mayor and the Planning Board need to widen their "vision" of North Adams and it's citizenry. Afterall, this is North Adams, not Stepford.
JET
JET,
You said, "He has always had a very intense and intimidating style....And I have no doubt that that style has served him and the City well often."
That intimidating style has cost the city tens of thousands of dollars in arbitration and lawsuits involving the police and fire departments alone.
I wouldn't say his style has served the city well, rather it has diminished what is otherwise a pretty good record of accomplishments.
arpee,
I have a habit of getting too "wordy" sometimes so I was making an effort to be succint. However I did not make my point clearly. My apologies.
What I was trying to say is that I am sure there have been situations that have called for this kind of intensity. I am sure that some of his accomplishments would not have come to fruition had it not been for his style. Politics can be a tough job! But it is inappropriate to use intimidation to "control" the very people you say you are "serving". It becomes detrimental to any city when their mayor decides his opinion is the only right opinion.
I agree with your point arpee, regarding the arbitration and lawsuits... that is precisely what I was saying. That kind of foolishness is not what the people of NA should be dealing with. There are many more positive aspects of the city that should be the focus of attention.
JET
R.W Emerson said that not Thoreau.
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