Sign Beautification Brings Local Community Together
BROOKSVILLE – Last month, members of the Nottingham Forest community showed what neighbors can do when they work together. On April 5, members of the tight-knit local community in North Brooksville banded together to beautify the entrance to their neighborhood.
For over 30 years, community leader Ed Ritter drove past the entrance to the sign welcoming residents and visitors onto Nottingham’s grounds. For many of those three decades, he looked at the decaying sign and yearned to do something about it.
Finally, it turned out 2025 would be the year. Ritter had originally hoped to get the project underway in February, but various reasons forced a delay into April. In the meantime, he brainstormed with other members of the Nottingham community and “came up with this vision and made it all happen,” said Nottingham resident Patti Ramm.
Loverell Garmas, a resident who has lived in the community for the last 12 years, noted that, “Basically, I think everyone has always wanted to do it, but no one has ever took the initiative to actually move forward and do it… It feels amazing… The fact that there’s beautiful homes and a beautiful entrance now, it just all tied it in together.”
The locally owned, family-run Amax Welding and Fabrication provided a nice deal on the metal, and Ritter and company provided the funds and the manpower. 25 members showed up to help at the end of day one of construction, and in only a week, the nearly 40-year-old community boasted a brand new sign.
“It’s a gorgeous entrance. I think all of our property values just went up thousands of dollars,” Patti joked.
What was once a humble collection of boards with the community’s name painted in white was now a true welcome sign with an illuminated metal engraving that proudly proclaimed “Nottingham Forest” at its center.
Then, on the fourth of May, Ritter took the remaining funds that he had raised from the community and used them to hold a neighborhood celebration. Locals said he could keep the extra money, Garmas remarked, but he decided to give it back to the people in the form of a party.
Below is a write-up Patti sent to the Sun detailing the project and thanking Mr. Ritter for his pivotal role in beautifying the face of the neighborhood:
“Most of the neighbors in the Nottingham Forest community know Ed Ritter or have seen him tending to the landscaping at the entrance to the community or his fabulous yard or sitting in his garage and waving at passersby.
For more than 30 years, the same dilapidated sign has stood at the front entrance. The fence was leaning and the letters were worn and tattered. Ed decided that something needed to be done to fix the eyesore. He brought the idea to a few neighbors and they all decided that it needed to be done and they were going to fix it.
Word spread through the community and neighbors started donating to the cause. On the first weekend, there were approximately 23 neighbors that came out to be part of the remodel. Even the children came out to help. The community built and landscaped a beautiful entrance to their neighborhood. Not only did they work hard to make this happen but they all came together, they raked, painted, built and shaped Ed’s dream into a reality.
They had a metal sign made by Amax Welding to hang on the new fence. They even installed solar lights to light the way in the night.
Ed Ritter then had a sign lighting ceremony for the neighborhood. He thanked everyone that donated and put in the work to make this happen.
What Ed probably didn’t realize was he not only orchestrated this amazing and beautiful entrance for Nottingham Forest but because of his desire to welcome all home with this new entrance he also brought this small and quiet community together. Some meeting each other for the first time and working side by side to help beautify their community.
Thank you Ed Ritter for caring about your quaint little neighborhood. Welcome home Nottingham Forest.”
