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TOP STORY OF THE DAY: Group receives grant to spruce up holiday decor downtown
There may not be decorative lights on the poles downtown for the holidays this year, but the city and philanthropic groups around the Wabash Valley are teaming together to beautify Brazil’s downtown in time for Christmas, nonetheless.
A recent grant from the Wabash Valley Community Foundation in the amount of $21,500 has made it possible for groups from Clay and Vigo counties to begin building toward once again having traditional holiday-themed decorations downtown despite a few issues presented by the reconstruction of U.S. 40 through Brazil in recent years.
Director of Community Engagement with the Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce Josh Alsip said 100 poles throughout Brazil’s downtown will be adorned with Christmas wreaths in lieu of lighted decorations as the newly-installed poles are not equipped with alternative electrical functions, like plugging in lights.
“When the U.S. 40 Project was complete, we figured out that the light poles did not have electrical outlets to serve those types of decorations,” Alsip said. “Brazil was very passionate about this issue, and once they realized there were going to be no decorations … Brazil Main Street decided to figure out: Is there a way we can still put some decorations up?”
For 2021, officials turned to battery-powered lights for the poles. Many were sponsored by local businesses and families, some dedicated in memoriam to lost loved ones.
However, the battery-powered poles proved problematic as they were easily accessible to those looking to have fun at the city’s expense.
“Last year, in particular, we had vandals that would go mess with the battery-powered lights, and with the tags that had the people’s names on it, and it just made it unsustainable for us to do,” Alsip said. “We’re all volunteer based, and the lights themselves were not of commercial quality.”
Further investigation into the newly-installed light poles revealed an issue with warranties. Long story short — installing electrical outlets would void the warranties for the poles, which cost some $30,000 apiece.
Alsip and others spoke with the engineers from the U.S. 40 Project, other electrical engineers and city officials.
“Unless you find a couple million dollars to replace all the poles, it’s honestly not possible,” he explained.
“So what we decided to do was to create kind of a wreath theme.”
Two wreaths, all decked out in holiday fashion, are set to adorn 50 light poles throughout Brazil’s downtown, resulting in more than 100 wreaths placed. Alsip and others hope residents and businesses will join in the theme by placing wreaths in their decor as officials work on a more permanent solution for the future.
“The grant that we got from the Wabash Valley Community Foundation will pay for those 100 wreaths that will go on the light poles downtown, and the wreaths with lights at City Hall and at the fountain at Forest Park,” Alsip said. “In the future we’re going to be raising more funding to get those additional wreaths because there will be able 30 poles downtown that won’t have wreaths on them.
“We are very thankful (for the grant) because it would’ve been really difficult for this project to happen, especially this year,” he explained. “We were going to try to do at least something, but it was not going to be nearly as large as what we’re able to do now. We’re extremely grateful to the Wabash Valley Community Foundation.”
Those interested in donating toward the wreath theme and future projects may contact the Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce at 812-232-2391. For more information, visit www.terrehautechamber.com or via Brazil Main Street’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/brazil.m.street.