Zsarnay called the sign ineffective, because it faces 5th Street and cannot be easily read from Santa Paula Street. “Why spend $15,000 - $20,000 on a sign that cannot be read by traffic on the main street?,” she added. “At least the old sign was easily read from Santa Paula Street.”She told the board that City ordinances do not permit animated, moving signs. The school does not have to comply with city rules, but Zsarnay said they should anyway. “Legal ability to do it doesn’t make it the right thing to do,” she noted. “We cannot make decisions in a vacuum. We must give due consideration to how those choices will impact our community.”District Superintendent Dr. William Brand says they’ve tried to be good neighbors. He notes that they’ve voluntarily set the sign to shut off at 5 p.m. each weekday and shut down altogether on weekends. “We’ve been getting eight to 10 calls a week, telling us how much they appreciate it,” Dr. Brand said. He added that they don’t want it to be a beacon of light and they are looking at alternatives to the current placement of the sign. “We are taking their concerns very seriously.”Opposition to the sign was not unanimous. Michelle Holmes, who lives two blocks from the high school, spoke in support of it. She called the message by the sign opponents “appalling” and referred to them as “immoral cowards.” “I ask the board not to bow to pressure and to leave it on and let it shine as brightly as our students do,” Holmes said.
Residents petition high school trustees to remove sign
March 20, 2002
Santa Paula News
A petition, containing some 200 signatures has been submitted to trustees of the Santa Paula Union High School District, asking that a new, red LED marquee be removed.
By Brian D. WilsonSanta Paula TimesA petition, containing some 200 signatures has been submitted to trustees of the Santa Paula Union High School District, asking that a new, red LED marquee be removed.The brightly-lit sign was installed at the corner of Santa Paula and 5th Streets. At first, nearby residents were upset that the bright light shined into their homes. The school agreed to turn the sign off at night, but some residents are still opposed to it.Several people came to the last board meeting to voice their opposition. Lois Zsarnay and her husband live directly across the street from the sign and spearheaded the campaign against it. She told the board that they have supported the high school in the past and continue to support school activities. She noted how there had been many improvements to the campus over the years. “And yet, in December a red LED, moving banner was installed in front of the high school that is totally out of place with the historic look of the school and seriously impacts our community,” Zsarnay said. “The sign is a nuisance for the homes nearby since it directly faces our homes and impacts our daily living activities.”