PEABODY — Coronavirus has put a big dent in Veterans Memorial High School student Alexandra Turco’s and her classmates’ senior year celebrations. But her father has a plan for lifting the Class of 2020’s spirits.
Councilor-at-large Jon Turco has had tentative conversations with Mayor Edward Bettencourt and Peabody Municipal Light Plant (PMLP) officials about creating banners for each of the 350 graduating seniors and hanging the banners from PMLP poles across the city.
“It’s something to do for the senior class with all the events they are going to miss,” said Turco, who also has a daughter, Isabella, attending Veterans Memorial.
With coronavirus shutting down schools through May 4, the academic and social whirlwind that defines senior year and makes memories leading up to graduation has been stilled for now.
Turco acknowledges his banner idea is tentative at this stage and said it involves logistical and financial conversations involving city, PMLP and school officials as well as parents.
“On the surface it seems like a good idea, but I expect that students and or families will have to grant permission to have their pictures displayed anywhere,” said Interim School Superintendent Dr. Marc Kerble.
Peabody-based graphic artist Geoff Bloom is already on board with the banner plan. After speaking with Turco, he drew up a design for a roughly two-foot by five-foot banner and reached out to a vendor.
“I thought this was a neat idea so the students can at least see the city supports them and has their back,” Bloom said.
Bloom’s Gigawatt Graphics counts municipalities among its design clients and the firm recently won three Hermes
Creative Awards. The Brown School parent said an initial estimate for creating the banners and installation hardware ranges between $150-$175.
Turco said asking parents to pay for the banners and installation would allow the price to be slightly adjusted to provide money to underwrite banner costs for families unable to pay for a banner.
PMLP spokesman John Maihos called discussions on the power provider’s involvement in the banner project “very formative at this point.” PMLP’s website lists community involvement activities the plant is engaged in including “hanging banners for city events.”
If project details can be worked out, Turco would like to organize banner orders from Class of 2020 families by the last week of April for installation in May.
“It’s all in the initial stage and we’re working on approval to get them put up,” he said.
Thor Jourgensen can be reached at [email protected].
