Tiki, a 4-year-old teacup Pomeranian, stands next to a political sign along German Street. tabatha johnston
SHEPHERDSTOWN — As the general election approaches Nov. 5, political billboards are starting to fill roadsides across the country. And depending on the candidate on the sign, passersby often come away feeling strong emotions, often mixed with negative ones.
But one family in Shepherdstown decided to flip the script and bring some positive vibes to the masses by putting a unique spin on a traditional political sign. People passing by 305 West German Street may notice a sign for Tiki, Maggio’s 4-year-old teacup Pomeranian. The sign bears Tiki’s quirky campaign slogan, “More Snacks.” There are fewer squirrels. ”
Edward Maggio said he and his wife, Jennifer, hope the billboards will help offset the polarized political climate.
“Like most people right now, we have friends and family on both sides of the political spectrum,” Maggio said. “My wife and I are fairly centrist and vote for candidates from both parties. Like many people, we feel pressured to align with one side or the other. I think there are.
“I had no intention of putting up signs for the candidates, so I was talking about the signs my friends and family were putting up, but I didn’t have anything to share,” Maggio said.
However, these conversations penetrated the minds of the Maggio family, and an idea came to mind that finally signaled that they could retreat for good. They worked with an artist on Etsy to design the sign and installed it in front of their home in early September.
“We thought it would be funny to put up a sign with dogs, because there’s one thing we all agree on: we love dogs!” Maggio laughed . “It also served a secondary purpose. We have a 5-year-old and our neighbors have children who have to get on and off the bus every day. Unfortunately, sometimes people It’s nice to have a sign like this here because people want to take their time and read this sign.”
Maggio said that despite the good intentions behind the signs, some believe there are ulterior motives behind them.
“It’s interesting. Some people ask, ‘What’s the agenda?’ We have nothing! We just want to let some steam out of the political cauldron,” Maggio said. “That’s it!”
Many towns in the United States have elected dogs to political office, including a Great Pyrenees who served as mayor of Cormorant Village in Minnesota from 2014 to 2019, and a black Labrador/Rottweiler mix who was elected Mayor Sunol. . , California from 1981 to 1994. But Maggio said the sign was far from what the couple intended.
“I walk around town a lot with Tiki, and people ask, ‘What does this mean? Is he running for office?’ No!” Maggio said. . “We just need to take things a little more seriously.”
