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Updated 22 hours ago
New welcome signs will soon greet visitors as they enter Blawnox on Freeport Road.
The gateway signs will be paid for by the Allegheny River Towns Program, a group that works to boost economies in walkable communities.
“The neat thing is they will be the Blawnox colors – blue and gold,” Councilman Harry Novicki said.
Decades ago, Blawnox sponsored a marching band that had uniforms of blue and gold. It's also been a long-standing practice for the borough offices to use blue and gold stationery, and the colors are used in the code enforcement logo and other insignias. Novicki said the tradition started when Blawnox had its own elementary school that sported those colors.
The sign pays tribute to the borough's past, with an image of an old mill that was once part of Blaw-Knox Steel Construction Co.
“The blue color is a subtle reference to the Allegheny River, which serves as the borough's southern border,” Borough Manager Cindy Bahn said.
Council recently approved installing the signs, pending approval from property owners. The Ametek Co. owns a vacant lot at the intersection of Freeport and Alpha Drive at the west entrance; the other property – at Freeport and Lewis Avenue – is owned by the city of Pittsburgh.
Council plans to seek donations from businesses to plant flower gardens at the base of each sign. Six trees were planted in the fall near where the signs will be placed. Secretary Kathy Ulanowicz offered to donate and plant annuals, and Bahn plans to ask Tree Tenders, a volunteer group trained by the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy to maintain plants and small trees, to help with watering.
Bahn said the signs will better define the community for people driving through town.
“Blawnox sits in the middle of the surrounding O'Hara horseshoe, so it isn't always easy for travelers to know exactly where they are,” Bahn said. “The signs will improve curb appeal, help to brand the borough and promote a sense of identity.”
Tawnya Panizzi is a staff writer for the Tribune-Review. Reach her at 412-782-2121, ext. 2 or at tpanizzi@tribweb.com.
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