Dallastown, Pennsylvania, USA

Every small town needs at least one coffee shop. It's a matter of livability, a place to be seen, and a key to community building. If the corporate sector is not responding along your Main Street, maybe one of the churches will. That's the story of Common Grounds. See the fish swimming around in the cup of coffee? [2019]

Carrollton, Kentucky, USA

How do we honor our veterans? Here's one method: We personalize attention-getting banners and hang them from every pole in town, thus turning our streets into an outdoor portrait gallery. Over the last twenty years, this has become a national trend. Remember: Veterans Day is tomorrow. [2022]

Tangier Island, Virginia, USA

When there are only eight graduates in the senior class of Tangier Island School, you can honor each one with a pole banner of their own. They oversee Main Street and introduce visitors to their island home. The only mystery is why there are 7 boys and only 1 girl among the graduates. [2022]

Marion, North Carolina, USA

Few people were on the streets two years ago in Marion. Those who were wore masks. By that point in the Covid-19 epidemic, just five months in, more than 156,000 people in the United States had died of Covid-19. By January of 2021, five months in the future, the number of deaths had increased to almost 357,000. Now, it's over a million. [2020]

Independence, Virginia, USA

The Grand Privy Race takes place every October in Independence, Virginia: any excuse for a festival! What used to be hidden out back, the outhouse, is now flaunted on the town square. And, the odors of everyday life have been replaced by sanitized memories of the past. They were good days, weren't they? [2015]

Manchester, England, UK

The blue bovine, obviously a social climber who loves to be seen, was a new addition to the landscape in 2004. Other cities followed suit. The question is: Does he attract patrons to the Manchester Jazz Festival or distract (even block) any attention you might pay to the banners. [2004]

New Harmony, Indiana, USA

Window washing cranes have become almost ubiquitous. They are perfect for Main Street communities where the high-rises are not very high. Plus, they are useful for all kinds of building upkeep. And, it seems like everybody who walks by wants a ride. Compare with scaffolding. [2022]

Boise, Idaho, USA

"Emma Edwards Green: Artist and Designer of official Idaho State Seal". The year was 1891, and her design included both a man (representing work) and a woman (representing justice). Mrs. Green remains the only woman to have designed a state seal. Today, its significance is even more impressive because it is the centerpiece of the Idaho state flag. [2020]

Beaumont, Texas, USA

So that's why there's nobody on the streets in Beaumont! The dinosaurs have returned and are patrolling the realm. What species is this? [2022]

Quebec City, Quebec, Canada

How many uses can you think of for a lamp post? (1) Providing illumination, obviously. (2) Holding up pole banners. (3) Anchoring bike racks. But, certainly, the list does not stop there. How might you apply these concepts to a lamp post? Aesthetic enrichment, audio entertainment, advice dispensation, attention catching, aides memories. [2018]

South Charleston, West Virginia, USA

February is all about the number two, and 2/22 is a palindrome too! No one should have to tolerate a flat roof. Do something with it! Let it help you sell paint and contribute to your branding efforts. Be sure to see yesterday's post. [2010]

Washington, DC, USA

A+ for cross-pollination of ideas! If you think the colors and geometric patterns of the desert Southwest are out of place in humid Washington, D.C., consider where you really are: Southwest DC! Why not bring the place-based hues of the sparselands to the urban landscapes of our nation's capital? See the capitol dome? [2021]

Osseo, Minnesota, USA

It's only a row of storefronts along the town's main street. What sets it apart? A water tower with the town's name in all caps. Other towns may have water towers, but there is only one town named Osseo. Maybe Osseo could add some pole banners that exploit the name of the town as well. Oh, wait, they already did! [2021]

White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, USA

Today marks the anniversary of the event that drew America into World War II. Eighty years ago, the Japanese Empire bombed the naval base at Pearl Harbor. Years later, White Sulphur Springs, like many home towns, underwrote a Roads of Honor program: a series banners-cum-encomia that turned the town's utility poles into a veterans' parade. [2021]

Cape Charles, Virginia, USA

Halloween, yesterday, wasn't the holiday. It was the eve of the holiday. Today is the holiday: It's All Saints Day, formerly known as All Hallows Day or Hallowmas. A hallow is a saint, so today is a time for honoring everyone who has found a new home in heaven, while their skeletons (see them?) remain behind. [2020]

Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA

As a mill town: Fort Mill was one of the many Piedmont towns that brought non-farm jobs to rural areas thanks to its rail line. As a spill town: Fort Mill became one of the many Piedmont towns that brought urban jobs to the spill-over zone of Charlotte thanks to its Interstate highways. [2020]

San Diego, California, USA

Happy new year, for sure. May the likes of 2020 never be seen again! Now, let's see what the new normal looks like around the country and the world. Let's hope smiles return to streets everywhere. Maybe by the end of 2021, no one will need to wear a smile-hiding mask. [2020]

Kaohsiung, Taiwan

♫ These Are a Few of My Favorite Things ♫ ~ Pole Banners: They lift your spirits by lifting your gaze. They animate your gait with their flutter. They exercise your optical nerves with diversity of hue. They deplete your wallet with lures to spend money. They attach you to places with scripts and images. Enjoy them: Their messages are always positive. [2011]

Flemingsburg, Kentucky, USA

Seats of government, including county seats, are supposed to inspire confidence in the law. How is that achieved? In the case of courthouses, with elevation. First, the bell tower makes you look up to the law. Second, the ascending staircase lifts you off Main Street and puts you down in an Athenian temple, a reminder of the ancients who invented democracy. [2017]

New Haven, Connecticut, USA

There are 5 senses (see the banners?), and then there is "The 6th Sense." Do you feel the presence of ghostly souls when they enter your world or hitch a ride in the back of your truck? It is easier than ever this time of year. Happy Halloween! [2009]