It’s a bittersweet moment for Tallahassee residents as they wave goodbye to the dark-brown-wooden park signs that once stood in Tallahassee city parks.
For more than 40 years, the signs with yellow writing identified the city parks of Tallahassee. City officials have decided to replace these familiar signs with new green-and-white, color-core plastic signs.
The majority of the old-rugged signs that stood in front of Tallahassee parks were hand crafted by former parks and recreational worker, Tim Hormuth.
After he retired, the city felt that it was best to switch to a sign with a modern look. The new signs are not only more modern, but also suitable for Tallahassee’s unpredictable weather.
Ashley Edwards, director of the Tallahassee Department of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Affairs, said that she will miss seeing the previous signs.
“I personally loved the old signs,” Edwards said. “They were hand-crafted and very historic not only to our parks but to the city as well. For many, many years that was the signature sign that was located at all of our parks. It is very sad to see them go but the new signs will be more economical for the city because they will last longer.”
As of now, the city has replaced 20 of the old signs and has plans to replace 25 to 30 more signs over the next couple of years.
Brittany Winston, a Florida State University Environmental Science graduate and current student at Savannah College of Art and design from Atlanta, said the parks will not be the same without those signs.
“When I was living in Tallahassee, I would go running with my dog at Mission San Luis Park and I would use that old-brown sign as a mile marker,” Winston said. “It is going to be an adjustment not seeing these signs when I visit Tallahassee.”
La’Quinn Fitzpatrick, a graduate of Florida A&M University and musician at Bethel Baptist Church of Jacksonville, said he is glad to see that Tallahassee is taking small steps towards renovating the city and making it look more appealing.
“Tallahassee has always been behind the ball when it came to staying up-to-date with they way the city looked,” Fitzpatrick said. “Yes, changing out the signs at the parks is a small renovation compared to renovating the Tallahassee Mall, but it is still one step forward towards making the city look better.”