This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
09/20/2016 04:30 PMWith the Town of Essex recently replacing its street signs, did you ever wonder what happens to decommissioned street signs? The Town of Essex has given them a second life as it donated the signs to the Essex Community Fund (ECF), which is selling them on eBay as a fundraiser.
“[First Selectman] Norm [Needleman] has been very supportive of ECF, because we give a lot of support in the community,” said ECF President Jean Schneider. “We also had a lot of help from [Public Works Director] David Caroline of the town crew, who has helped us move signs, clean them, package them up, and get them ready for auction.”
The signs, which are made of a heavy steel, are available in waves on eBay with the first wave of streets beginning with A to E having concluded on Sept. 20 (winning bidders can pick up their signs on the Ivoryton Green on Sept. 24). Bids begin at $50 and each wave of auctions will remain open for two weeks.
“If people missed the first wave, they can contact us about purchasing any signs that are still available,” said Schneider. “We’ve gotten a very positive response so far.”
Wave 2 for streets F to M will be held Oct. 3 to 13 with a pickup date of Saturday, Oct. 15 on the Ivoryton Green. The third wave—streets N to W—is scheduled for Nov. 5 to 15 with pickup on Saturday, Dec. 3 at the Essex Stroll. Shipping is also available for $18.
“The signs are all charming,” said Schneider. “It’s a unique idea for someone who wants to decorate or own a piece of nostalgia, part of the history of Essex. There could also be some sort of sentiment, whether it’s a child’s name, where they grew up, or where someone’s parents lived.”
All of the proceeds from the auctions will benefit the ECF. According to its website essexcommunityfund.org, ECF is a “local non-profit that identifies emergent needs of the Essex community and provides financial support as well as forges partnerships with local non-profit organizations to meet these needs.”
The ECF has been in operation for more than 65 years, giving back to many Essex organizations over the years, including the Shoreline Soup Kitchen, the fuel program, Essex Housing, “Camperships” for children to attend summer camps, the recently created summer meals program, Boy Scouts, visiting nurses, and more.
“It’s interesting looking back at the history of what [ECF was] doing in 1949 is close to what we’re still doing,” said Schneider. “They did polio back then, but we’re supporting visiting nurses, we’re still supporting Boy Scouts, and camperships. It’s interesting that we’re still working the same way. What we’re doing is the nuts and bolts support.”
Schneider is excited about this fundraiser as it not only gives people a chance to own a piece of the town’s history, but it will allow ECF to give even more support to the organizations that help so many residents.
“It’s always a struggle when we come to granting because we want to give as much as we can so to have even more money [due to this fundraiser] to give out would be fabulous,” said Schneider. “This and our other fundraisers allow us to give even more support to our community and Essex residents.”
For more information, visit essexcommunityfund.org/auction.