From knee pads to kites to insulating walls, campaign signs can do it all

Not everybody hates campaign yard signs.

In fact, there’s a guy on the Bainbridge who can’t get enough of them.

After my recent story about the proliferation of campaign yard signs, retired sign-maker Joe Litus asked that I get the word out to local politicians (and their supporters) that he’d love get his hands on their leftover signs.

“I have projects that range from building raised garden plots, to covering a wood shed against the rain, to using them as walls for my grandson’s tree house, and using them for siding on a ‘cat house’ for the grandkids’ cats!” Joe wrote in an email.

And that’s not all.

The old signs are good for insulating basement walls, advertising garage sales, protecting old knees as portable padding and crafting home address numerals. Joe can even shape them into kites, glider planes and the foundations of entire worlds (model train worlds, that is).

And with Christmas right around the corner, why not let Joe transform all those sour memories of failed campaigns into holiday cheer?

“Ingenuity can be lent to see them recycled into Christmas ornaments!” Joe wrote.

The newfangled corrugated plastic signs are best but the vintage-style rigid paper ones are plenty good for reuse. Throw in the wooden stakes. Joe will know what to do with them.

Joe’s house is conveniently located near downtown Winslow. Shoot him an email, jmlclassic at yahoo.com, to coordinate sign drop-offs.