Kangaroos back on the rise in Clintonville, WOSU apologizes

An entire neighborhood, nay, city mourned the loss of the Clintonville “Kangaroo Crossing” when it was taken down earlier this month. The permit-less sign was removed by the city after a WOSU reporter was poking around in search of its origin (they’ve since apologized).

But legends never die and this bright yellow beacon of neighborly camaraderie is no different.

In the signs former location along Clinton Heights Ave., two campaign-style memorials have been erected.

“Never forget,” is printed on the signs below an image of the bright yellow kangaroo sign from before. Jeremy Felder, owner of EcoLyfe Designs on Indianola, spearheaded these spinoff signs as a way to pay homage.

A Clintonville resident named Jared Laughbaum is mastermind behind the original sign, having created it four years ago as a symbol of protest, reports WOSU. It came about during construction of Clinton Elementary. The city put up a “Construction entrance ahead” sign near his house and when it was not removed after the job was done, he bought the kangaroo sign online and swapped it out.

Laughbaum has reclaimed it from the city but is restricted from putting it back in the public right-of-way.

But don’t sweat, there are many other potential futures that lie ahead for the sign: It could be mounted under the “No Outlet” sign on Laughbaum’s property, it could be installed in a park, or it could be donated to a local school, reports WOSU. 

A GoFundMe which has exceeded its goal is working to cover the cost of the sign’s reinstallation (wherever that may be) and a petition on Change.org, is churning to declare the Kangaroo Crossing sign as the official symbol of Clintonville.

Photo courtesy of this Reddit thread.

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