Benches on Baltimore Avenue bring holiday cheer

Tim Colfer said he has a simple reason for wanting to decorate the Benches on Baltimore Avenue.

“Basically, we’re just trying to liven up the neighborhood a bit,” Colfer said. “To bring people over from Rehoboth Avenue.”

Colfer, store manager of Shademakers Eyewear, and his partner Tom Durso came up with the idea to decorate the city benches lining Baltimore Avenue.

Colfer said he installed a skeleton on the bench in front of Shademakers at Halloween and noticed people would stop to take selfies. It worked out great, he said. Durso did the dirty work of making and printing off flyers, and then getting other business owners to participate.

“So far, it’s been received very well,” said Durso.

Durso said other towns do similar things to attract, and keep, foot traffic.

“We were like, ‘How about the benches?’” he said.

Durso said the front window of Shademakers has a good view of the corner of Baltimore Avenue and First Street. He said he would see people walk down First Street, get to the corner and then turn back around toward Rehoboth Avenue.

Now, he said, some of the shoppers notice the benches, and they’ll come check them out.

Colfer said the holiday spirit has spread to some of their neighbors on First Street, pointing to BRASHhh, A Wish Called Wanda and Stitch-Stash.

“It’s been neat to see the different ideas people have been coming up with,” said Colfer.

Patti Hoffmann, owner of Stitch-Stash, said she is participating because loves to decorate outside and wanted to make people smile and laugh.

Colfer said businesses were a little slow to participate but quickly joined the fun after Shademakers put up their Santa Claus and reindeer. They just needed someone to be first, he said.

There’s been a Facebook page established and it has nearly 200 likes already. Colfer said he has every intention of doing Benches on Baltimore Avenue again next year.

“We’re all having fun with it,” he said.