KENTON, OH (WLIO) - The city of Kenton was founded in 1886 and has been known for its blue-collar workforce and kind, heart-warming residents. Now, 138 years later it's that same heart-warming community feeling that has got the town buzzing with a new trend that caught the eyes of many around the state. Our own Casey Mulcahy ventured into the heart of Kenton to get to the bottom of the trend, the sign wars.
When driving through the city of Kenton, you might see signs welcoming customers. But some businesses are thinking outside the box with their signs and drawing the attention of not only Kenton residents-- but from all around the Buckeye State. The sign wars have been going on for about 2 weeks in Kenton and like any war, there's someone who sparked the flame. For Kenton, it was the Ace Hardware store that fired first.
"Like any other normal day, we were sitting around and a couple of the kids that work at night on a Sunday, we were trying to think up what to put on the sign for what to change it to. And they were suggesting some ideas about ya know 'Hey we should say some stuff about the people next door' or something like that and they had schemed up a couple of ideas and I never in a million years thought it would blow up to what it is now," explained Brandon Shape, Kenton Ace Hardware general manager.
And after Branden and the team at Ace Hardware had their new sign up, poking fun at neighbor business Taco Bell, the war began. While the jokes are funny, the businesses cooperated harmoniously and understood it is all in good fun and came from a good place.
"We were actually on a company trip last week and I actually talked to the owners and they seemed like it was in good spirits and they didn't tell me no so I came up with something as about as PG, PG-13 as I could and this is where we're at. It was all in good fun and I know the next-door neighbors aren't serious about it because they most all come in here and hang out and eat food anyways," said Brad Emerine, Kenton Taco Bell general manager.
"No hard feelings at all. We try to keep the message, you know politically correct and try to make it more fun for us, our neighbors, and also the whole Kenton community," commented Alexiv Allen, Kenton Superior Auto general manager.
The camaraderie displayed by these businesses and Kenton residents is a testament to how close the community is and embodies the small-town feel of Kenton.
"One major thing that we all need to be able to do is be good communicators and this communicates who we really are. It's about fun. Sometimes we take life so serious but this is really who we are and we all look forward to it like 'Hey what's the next sign gonna be' so here we go," stated Mayor Lynn Webb, City of Kenton.
While the sign wars may just be getting started, it has motivated other businesses in Kenton to get in on the fun and continue the trend. Kenton has seen its share of history and now with the sign wars getting the attention of many in the region, it could be writing a new chapter in its history books while still holding true to its kind, heart-warming roots.
