By Shelby Stewart
Staff Writer
Brandon Twp.- It’s been a banner year for area residents.
Thanks to the efforts of a Brandon High School senior and school official street banners are popping up in Ortonville and very soon along M-15.
“It all started off just looking for student volunteers,” said Taryn Vlad, a 17-year-old senior at BHS. “Mr. Wyatt showed me some designs and we went to the village offices.”
David Wyatt, vice principal of BHS, and Vlad spoke with Village of Ortonville officials about a year ago about splitting the cost of the banners attached to the light posts in the downtown area. By splitting the cost, banners could be alternated between ‘Home of the Blackhawks’ promoting the school district and “The Village of Ortonville.”
The banners went up in the summer time.
“Banners are something that everyone sees,” said Vlad. “It’s a way to show pride for the school. When people visit, they see how much pride the village has for our schools.”
The pair did the same thing for the township and asked to split the costs for the banners that would go up along M-15, and that was approved as well. The only approval they need now is from the Michigan Department of Transportation.
“We just need their written approval,” said Wyatt. “We’ve gotten it vocally (from MDOT).”
Wyatt and Vlad hope that the banners will be done before Christmas, to show the Blackawk pride off to any travelers along M-15.