New Baltimore Envisions Good Life For Tower

An old water tower, visible across Anchor Bay, could soon represent more than New Baltimore's past.

The 170-foot rusty structure may epitomize the good life.

That's the idea City Planning and Economic Director Judy Sproat hatched this month for a trade with a New England-based clothing company.

In a letter to Life is good, Sproat asked the brand to paint the nonfunctioning tower for free. In return, the company could then place its logo on the finished coat. The logo is a happy face with sunglasses and a black beret.

According to the company website, Bert and John Jacobs knew nothing about the clothing business when they designed their first T-shirt in 1989. Through determination and vision, they kept their dream alive by selling shirts at local fairs and retail stores. The merchandise eventually gained popularity across the nation.

Sproat wrote to the owners April 14, asking their company to complete a paint job estimated to cost around $100,000 in exchange for free advertising on the tower seen along the shoreline.

She told the brothers they "epitomize the life most of us hope for ourselves–A good balance between work and play, generosity of spirit, health and happiness..."

Although they have yet to respond, she's hopeful they'll agree to work on the city's iconic tower.

"It really is a piece of Americana," she said.