It took a lot of determined fundraising and grant writing by the Community Friendly Connection, but the new sign in front of Old Orchard Beach Town Hall should keep residents and visitors informed about upcoming weather or Town Council meetings, and more. Pat Brown Photo
OLD ORCHARD BEACH — Wondering what’s in the weather forecast for Old Orchard Beach? When’s the next Town Council meeting?
Residents these days need only drive by the Town Hall and have a look. The long anticipated electronic message board has been installed in front of the municipal building at the intersection of Saco Avenue, Portland Avenue and Old Orchard Street and is up and running.
About three years ago, the Community Friendly Connection conducted a survey to determine issues and items residents felt were most important to them. CFC’s Pat Brown said 85 percent of the 639 respondents were year-round residents.
The issues that rose to the top were matters like transportation, affordable housing and quality of life as well as the need for more and better ways for residents to get information about meetings, events and activities.
“It’s well documented that increasing social interaction is paramount to combatting isolation which is so prevalent for older adults, particularly in this time of the pandemic,” said Brown.
In the survey, 70 percent of the respondents indicated that they relied on electronic signs and banners to find out about events and meetings in town. Based on that survey, the OOB CFC leadership, including Brown and Louise Reid, who at that time was assistant town manager and is now a town councilor, and others approached Town Manager Larry Mead with the idea of placing a sign in front of Town Hall. Mead approved, but told the CFC to come back when they had some money, Brown said.
They accepted that challenge, went out and got to work. Brown said the group went to Blackbear Signworks in Saco to create the design they could work with and market. They then went to the OOB Planning Office to ask what they had to do to get approval, and were told the Design Review Committee was required to review and approve the proposal because the sign would be located in the historic district. Support from abutters as well as the professional design resulted in approval.
Next came the job of raising the funds, which started with the CFC’s Imagine, Dream Believe silent auction with items gathered by Paul Lafond, an OOB property owner, with proceeds earmarked for the sign. Then CFC Community Development volunteer Holly Korda applied for four grants. The group received a contribution from Saco & Biddeford Savings Institution towards the sign and finally, the last piece of the puzzle came through Maine’s “Keeping Maine Healthy” grant program that included funds for the sign.
“CFC met the challenge and when all was said and done, (the group) raised $17,000 and the sign is in place with no taxpayers’ dollars expended,” said Brown.
“Installing this electronic message board at the most heavily traveled intersection in town is another means to increase the awareness of town happenings,” said CFC Chair Cathy Chiasson. “It’s a perfect complement to the CFC’s written “What’s Up OOB?!” posted throughout social media and the town’s website, coupled with the pre-recorded information “call-in” line (937-5611) geared to help those who may not be technology savvy.”
Brown and Chiasson said the CFC thanks all of those who helped make the new sign possible.
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
