Church Banner Will Hang Without Ads

The this week said a banner for a church rummage sale will be displayed without sponsor ads.

Commissioners quarreled early this month over the banner policy, with Tish Colombi and Ed Borden against sponsors on banners, and Jeff Kasko arguing forcefully to find some accommodation.

members sent the commissioners a letter stating the banner may not be able to be displayed without sponsor help. In the end, the sponsors agreed to still pay for the banner without their names on it, but were not happy about it.

"It's just another oddball rule that we really don't need in this town," said John Poliero, a church member and local business owner. "When times are good, people don't mind complying with weird rules. But when times are tough, it's hard."

Poliero, a Haddonfield resident, owns a real estate appraisal business in Collingswood. He and Marty Rosica, another church member, the owner of Hawks & Company heating and air conditioning business, agreed to contribute to the charity rummage sale costs without recognition.

"Why is a sponsorship on a banner such a horrible, horrible thing?" Kasko asked fellow commissioners earlier this month. 

Borden countered: "Because the space is owned by the town and we control and allow civic organizations to promote events and causes. It's not a public ad space for private business.

"That is governed by an ordinance that we spend a lot of time going through. We decide how businesses can advertise themselves."

Kasko continued to argue for nearly 15 minutes about the need for Haddonfield to work with organizations and businesses. That issue also surfaced recently with two business owners closing their stores and citing strict rules about window displays and the difficulty of advertising their businesses in Haddonfield.

"This is a stupid, stinking banner," Kasko said. "It's tough enough for charity and tough enough for business and we're not making it any easier, we're making it more difficult."

Poliero said he agrees with Kasko.