The Town of Parrish’s welcome sign has seen numerous additions and improvements since its placement earlier this year. - Photo by: W. Brian Hale
Since its placement, the sign has underwent several additions and changes to further improve its appearance — all of which have been answered with approval by residents and visitors to the town. As Parrish Town Clerk Marcy Brown, who originally designed the sign said, it represents more than just a welcoming marker for those who live and travel through the town — it’s a statement of pride the residents feel in their community and the progress that they have all made together.
“With the traffic that comes through our town everyday, along with the extra volume of visitors we’re expecting to pass through in the upcoming football season, it makes us feel very excited that people not only from the area but from other places in the state will see how proud we are of Parrish and how our community is growing in a positive way,” Brown said.
Three new flag poles have been added directly behind the sign, flying flags of the town, the United States and the State of Alabama. New landscaping in the form of several flowers and shrubs have been planted by Richard Ford of the Ford Greenhouse, along with a solar-powered light that was installed by Michael Ernest of Case Hardware.
“Mr. Ford has worked on many beautification and agricultural projects around our town, including the creation of the community garden at the Capstone Rural Health Clinic,” Brown said. “He teamed up with our street department to add our beautiful landscaping around the sign and we’re very privileged to have his experience in horticulture in assisting us with these projects. When you also consider Mr. Earnest’s involvement in installing our eco-friendly light that allows people to see our sign at night, it truly is a community involved project. We’re hoping to be able to add more features in the future as well.”
Funding for the sign and the additional improvements were made possible by an Alabama Community Forestry Grant and a Gateway Grant from Alabama Power, that were both written by Parrish Magistrate Diane Langley.
Another welcome sight for town residents is the work on the Parrish Municipal Park’s splash pad, which began two weeks ago and is expected finish in September. Working with the Parrish Street Department and contractors is Brown’s husband James and Town Council Member Cedrick Ramsey, who are currently working with the placement of the splash pad’s water lines.
“This is not only another example of community involvement, but it’s also saving our town several thousands of dollars in what we would have to pay for someone to have to dig these lines,” Brown said. “For us to be able to see the splash pad so close to completion also makes us excited because it also means we’re seeing another component finished in what will be our new park.”
A public meeting will be held on Monday, Aug. 22 at 6 p.m. at Parrish Town Hall to discuss the annexation of new areas into the town. Citizens who live adjacent to Parrish’s town limits and are interested in having their property annexed are encouraged to attend.