WEST MILFORD – Visitors to the township now will receive a warmer welcome.
The 12 welcome signs placed beside popular roads entering the township from various directions had deteriorated in appearance over time. Once bright, fresh and inviting, the signs had long ago fallen into disrepair.
Now, though, Highlands Economic Development and Tourism Corp. (HEAT) has begun to replace the signs. The new versions feature a picture of a West Milford scene and, in keeping with the township’s focus as a center for eco-tourism, display icons depicting the various forms of recreation available in the municipality.
The first sign replacements – on Echo Lake Road just east of Route 23 and Greenwood Lake Turnpike – took place this past week. Members of HEAT, along with a small group of volunteers, removed the old signs, cleaned the surroundings of overgrowth and debris, installed the new units, and laid mulch around the display kiosks. Several large garbage bags were filled with refuse from the areas around the signs.
The HEAT plans to replace the remaining signs in the coming weeks.
The mulch was donated by Organic Waste Systems, owner Scott Ridings. HEAT members Tim Wagner, JC Ringer and Jon Sherwood were joined in the work by Laurie Hoppe-Ringer, Daniel Poeschl and Stu Feldman, vice president of the West Milford Chamber of Commerce.
The township Beautification Committee and Ada Erick, the committee’s Township Council liaison, had worked with members of the former West Milford Economic Development Committee, and the current HEAT organization, to design and build the signs.
The HEAT, which seeks to rev up the economy in West Milford and surrounding communities in the New Jersey Highlands, is composed of an array of experienced business and professional leaders. The group focuses on initiatives that encourage business growth within, and tourist visits to, the Highlands.
For more information about HEAT or upcoming events, visit the HEAT website at www.NJHEAT.org.