Hosted by Mayor Anthony DellaPia, Council President Peter Del Borrello III and Councilman Joe Harris is the Beyond the Welcome Sign podcast on YouTube.
The show is intended to share stories about Washington Township to residents and nearby communities. They do this by inviting business owners, politicians and people making a difference in the community, to name a few.
“We held a contest to determine the name and had around 60 to 70 names submitted,” Del Borrello explained. “We really liked the name ‘Beyond the Welcome Sign’. Every town has a welcome sign, but a town is so much more than that.”
Though politicians are featured on the podcast, the show, according to Del Borrello, is not political in nature. A recent episode featured CJ Smith, the owner of Solar for Heroes. This episode focused on Smith’s upbringing, the focus of his business and the work he does in supporting local veterans.
Another episode spotlighted another business owner, Monster Mini Golf owner Bob Lister. The locale recently celebrated its first-year anniversary in Washington Township. The episode focused on Lister spotlighting how the community has helped support the business, from the construction to its opening.
“We want to get everyone’s perspective of the town,” Del Borrello said. “In the past, I think our township had a reputation for being difficult for businesses for a long time. We’re not advertising, we’re spotlighting people doing great things in Washington Township.”
“It’s great to have entrepreneurs,” he added, “but it can be hard to start a new business. I’m a small business owner myself, so I understand the struggles. We’re always happy to have new businesses and help people out.”
One of the man appeals of the podcast, according to Del Borrello, is how the people featured on the show are somewhat easy to get in contact with. The council members have their contact information listed on the township website, while guests have social media pages for themselves.
“We want to be able to promote motivational stories,” he said. “The podcast is trying to create a space where you can listen and see what makes our community the way it is.”
From left to right: Councilman Joe Harris, business owner CJ Smith, Mayor Anthony DellaPia and Council President Peter Del Borrello III on an episode of the township podcast, Beyond the Welcome Sign.
