Tourist signs' debut a little confusing

IDOT quickly corrects error

Saturday, October 15, 2005

BISHOP HILL - For the very observant, the new blue signs at the intersection of Highway 34 and Bishop Hill road were a little confusing. For a few weeks the "Tourist Activities" signs installed by the Illinois Deptartment of Transportation were directing folks to the Outsider Art Colony instead of the Outsider Art Gallery.

Marsha Carleson, owner of Outsider Gallery, was on the phone as soon as she was told of the mistake. "They had everything fixed very quickly," she said. "I thought we were going to need 'Art Colony Staff' T-shirts made up, but there wasn't time."

Steve Carleson, Marsha's husband, had been searching on the internet for information about obtaining these signs for some time. "We knew the information had to be out there," said Carleson, "because we saw the signs for other communities."

They weren't the only ones looking for information about the Tourism Oriented Direction Signing Program. Judith Gilbert of the Colony Hospital Bed and Breakfast and president of the newly formed Bishop Hill Guest and Commerce Association also was searching.

"Once we got the forms and directions, it was pretty straight forward," said Gilbert. Bishop Hill met the requirements for signing by being rural and not visible from a state-maintained highway and having the additional signs known as "trailblazers" in place for businesses opened the required amount of time. There was a nonrefundable application fee of $50 and once accepted each sign is rented for $65 annually.

"The Bishop Hill Guest and Commerce Association is a not-for-profit group," said Gilbert. "We made increased signage an important goal during our earliest meetings. We will continue to look for ways to promote and enhance visitors' interaction with this historic community." More information is available at www.bishophill.com.