NORTHBOROUGH – The Lions Club sign near Main and Blake streets is often lit up and sharing information about upcoming meetings and town events.
According to Select Board Chair Mitch Cohen, a couple of the board members received questions from residents about the Northboro Lions Club sign now being broken.
He noted that the sign is not town-owned.
“My understanding is the Lions Club was waiting on a part and that part is pending,” Cohen said during the Aug. 14 Select Board meeting.
Select Board member Lisa Maselli asked for it to be placed on the agenda.
According to Maselli, the original sign was installed in 1980 and had moveable letters. The Lions Club installed the electric sign in 2012.
“The intent of the sign was so that the town could put up messages and keep everybody current on the things that were going on, such as the Town Meeting, the taxes and whatever events might be coming like maybe even Applefest,” Maselli said.
Time has passed since the electric sign was installed.
“The electronics have changed,” she said.
Maselli talked with a Lions Club member who shared that the club was having difficulty keeping the sign working due to its age and the electronics made at the time.
She said the Lions Club was interested in replacing the sign with a more current sign.
“[The Lions Club] is concerned because the price is quite high,” Maselli said.
The club, she said, planned to move forward and obtain pricing for a new sign. The club wanted to work with the town to create a public-private situation where the Lions would get the sign and the town would run the sign.
According to Maselli, the Lions Club also planned to have fundraising events to raise money for the sign.
However, until a new sign is acquired, Maselli said the Lions may leave the sign unplugged instead of trying to get the part.
Cohen suggested that a Lions Club officer send the Select Board a letter, describing what the club sought to do. Then, the Lions could be placed on a future Select Board meeting agenda.
