It's a little 11th hour... (Happy Town Meeting Day, by the way!) but a week ago I set out to snap some pictures of the variety of lawn signs that are bringing a little early color to front yards across the city.
I've always been entertained by them - people truly get worked up about these quasi-collector's items around here - and I was impressed by their prevalence during the November election season, my first in Vermont. After one late night at the Herald, I even found one of Sen. Kevin Mullin's stuck under the windshield wipers of my car, which was parked on Wales Street. (Yeah, thanks for that... but at the same time, I was kind of excited to own my own lawn sign!)
So a weekend or so ago, reveling in both a sunny afternoon and some free time, I set out on a little quest to locate and compare each candidate's lawn signs, as well as figure out who has the greatest street-side presence. The findings, unfortunately, were incomplete. Instead it got me to wondering, as I created traffic backups by stopping in the middle of intersections to peer down dead end roads for the few that eluded me, what - if any - value this form of advertising has in this campaign.
The signs:
Robert Barrett
Points for picking a sign that ventures beyond the standard (see a few examples immediately following.) However, with stars, a check mark and stripes all sharing the bill with his name, it takes a second to process who and what this sign is advertising if you're driving by on busy North Main Street, where this particular example is located.
Dave Dress
Dave's signs are simply stated and prevalent, particularly in the neighborhoods on the eastern side of the city. Quick scans of Web sites that offer sign design and printing recommend two-tone signs (white doesn't count) such as Dave's because they boost the advertising's "power and impact."
Christopher Louras
Louras opts for the last-name-only approach, as does his opponent on one of two designs he has scattered about the city. If you happen to be viewing the sign up close, maybe as you're walking by, you're also reminded that Louras has a Web site you can check out for more info.
Oops, how did that sneak in here? They're certainly just as prevalent as any Louras or Trapeni sign! At least that dangling add-on sign doesn't say "Foreclosed," right?
Nick Ronfeld
Nick's sign choice sets him apart in that he's the only candidate to veer outside the red/blue/white/black color palate. They caught my eye every time and there are a fair number of them scattered about the city. Of course, there's also this antique GMC truck, which I coincidentally found parked on Center Street one day.
Joanne Slattery
Joanne's two-tone blue signs are also unique, but they're busy. Three or four different fonts/texts is a lot for such a small sign, although the progression in size and word length does draw your eye down to the point: Slattery. Alderman. The maple leaf is quaint.
Joe Tilden
What kind of critique could I really offer for this anyway? It's plain, simple and unpretentious. No fancy colors, leaves or stars here. I think it works for Joe, but probably only Joe.
Dave Trapeni
This is one of two Trapeni signs I've seen decorating lawns - and the majority of those lawns, I have to add, are in the western side of the city. It's also the better one. Here he opts for the primary shades of red and blue, and the negative space (white space) is also eye-catching.
Kevin Coleman also has signs, but only a few so he was not placing them around the city. They're out today though. I think Tom DePoy, Karen Bossi, Dan White and Christopher Robinson opted out of signs this year, but I could be wrong.
So, that fun critique aside, the real question - do the signs matter? I'd say they certainly do today, seeing as they're plastered outside every polling spot in the city, if not in the hands of the candidate his/herself, or one of their volunteers (of which Trapeni, hands down, has the most.) It's a candidate's last best chance to catch a voter's attention, and even better if it's the candidate actually holding it.
*****
If you haven't already, don't forget to go vote!
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