Committee plans banners and village flower plantings as yearlong sesquicentennial features

Patty presented a DPW-provided map of poles and recommended a budget-first approach to determine banner size, mounting hardware and counts. Committee members favored placing banners in each of the town’s four villages and using angled Main Street brackets where American flags do not conflict with the display.

Why it matters: Banners and public plantings are visible, yearlong elements of the sesquicentennial that shape public perception and create photo opportunities; they require coordination with DPW, National Grid/telecom pole owners and a clear installation budget.

Banners: Patty recommended defining a unit cost (material, printing, hardware, installation) before pinpointing exact pole locations. Committee members proposed a minimum of four banners per village as a target, with banner sizes in the 18x24 to 24x36 inch range and durable 18-oz vinyl material for year-round display. The committee will investigate state-bid vendors and town installation costs and coordinate with DPW about pole clearance and compatibility with existing American-flag fixtures.

Bulb plantings: The Garden Club proposed daffodil plantings (preferred for perennial resilience) in high-visibility locations to bloom in spring 2027. Bulb costs were described as modest (wholesale examples: several hundred bulbs for a few hundred dollars), but the project requires fall 2026 planting and DPW assistance to clear and prepare larger sites.

Next steps: Patty will confirm installation pricing and hardware constraints with DPW and vendors; Michelle and Garden Club representatives will refine a planting plan and supply a per-square-foot bulb estimate to present fall-planting options to the committee.

Ending: Committee members asked for banner and flower budgets and location proposals at the next meeting so the group can prioritize visible sites for August and next-year displays.