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Our Village, Our News
JUNE 7, 2012
Vol. 56 No. 35
A Banner Year
for the Village of Niles Village to utilize banners along Milwaukee Avenue By Rick Kambic Staff Reporter
Rick Kambic/Bugle Staff
For the first time in decades, the Village of Niles will utilize banners attached to light poles to give residents and commuters a friendly greeting, but they will come with marginal local advertising. Of the 132 poles in or directly outside the Milwaukee Avenue business district, 70 will have seasonal banners sponsored by local businesses and 62 will have village funded banners promoting the Bloomberg Businessweek “Best Place to Raise Kids” award. The village and Chamber of Commerce forged an agreement late last year and finalized the deal during the May 22 village board meeting. Each vinyl sponsorship banner will be 15 inches by 30 inches and will hang directly under the seasonal banner.
Businesses can choose to have their name or company logo on the material, but colors will coincide with the village’s seasonal banner choices. The agreement originated in the Milwaukee Avenue Streetscape Committee after members worried about spreading 62 award banners too thin among the many light poles. However, they recognized the high costs for seasonal banners, until former director of economic development Denise McCreery mentioned the chamber’s willingness to sponsor the banners. A year-round banner slot, consisting of four banners rotated quarterly on the same pole, costs $495 for chamber members and $750 for non-members. Businesses must be located in Niles and preferred pole locations are given to businesses along Milwaukee Avenue. See BANNERS, page 2