Darrington’s sign for the times
Published 12:01 am Wednesday, May 11, 2011
DARRINGTON — A new two-sided electronic reader board near Town Hall is flashing the news and welcoming tourists.
In this small town, it’s often difficult to get the word out. Not everyone reads bulletin board posters, only a small percentage of people are on Facebook and nobody is printing a weekly newsletter right now.
The new sign will be used to alert people to emergencies, burn bans and road closures as well as advertise the bake sales at the senior center and other events.
“The sign is a definite benefit to the community,” Mayor Joyce Jones said. “It replaced an old reader board that was hard to get to and hard to see. Plus we want drivers to know that we welcome them to Darrington.”
The $40,000 sign was paid for with a $17,000 grant from Snohomish County’s Department of Emergency Management, as well as funds from Fire Protection District 24, the Cascade Seniors, the Darrington Clinic Guild and individual donations, said town clerk Lyla Boyd.
“We’ve had a very positive response so far,” Boyd said. “Some people don’t think electronics fit in with Darrington’s ambience, but overall, it has been well received.”
Some people wish the sign was higher up off the ground, Boyd said. But the setback from a state highway requires that for every foot in height, a sign must be a foot from the right-of-way.
“We will continue to seek donations to cover the costs,” Boyd said. “Requests for messages have already been coming in, so I think the community will enjoy it.”
And it should help cut down on the I-didn’t-see-the-notice excuses from residents.
“This is a great way to get notifications out,” Jones said.
Gale Fiege: 425-339-3427; gfiege@heraldnet.com.
