PAYNESVILLE, Montserrado – The Paynesville City Corporation and Coca-Cola Liberia have dedicated the newly constructed welcome and exit sign on the Robertsfield Highway.

The signs, which were dedicated on Thursday evening, are located in R2, a community named after its first residents, Paul Rennie and Rose Rennie.

The project was implemented by the Special Project Division of Paynesville’s city government and sponsored by Coca-Cola Liberia.

Paynesville’s Mayor Cyvette Gibson said the signs would set a proper boundary demarcation and provide visibility and beautification to the city.

Paynesville City Mayor, Cyvette Gibson. Photo: Gbatemah Senah

Gibson praised Coca-Cola for the partnership and continuous supports to the city.

“Coca-Cola, on behalf of the residents of Paynesville, I want to thank you for believing and caring about us,” she said. “Thank you for your continual support and thank you for allowing the names of our city to shine in the light that they are in tonight.”

She also encouraged residents of the R2 community to take ownership of the facility and promised that the city corporation would work with them to ensure proper maintenance.

She pledged to collaborate with residents of the community to protect and maintain the signs. She said the presence of the signs would also provide employment opportunities for young people in the community.

“We will ensure that we build the capacities of young people in this community to make sure that they are able to do that,” she promised.

According to her, community policing is supporting and maintaining community development.

Partners and dignitaries dedicate the project. Photo: Gbatemah Senah

Earlier, a member of the community speaking on behalf of residents said the dedication of the signs marks a milestone in the history of the community.

Phebean Tobey said they were grateful that a previous confusion they had about the demarcation to identify their location would now come to an end.

“A demarcation to show whether we are in Paynesville or Margibi County has been a big confusion for us,” Tobey disclosed.

For their part, the Rennie family stated that they were glad that the once-isolated community has grown to be a renown place.

Rose and Paul Rennie, after whom the R2 community is named. Photo: Gbatemah Senah

They said the construction of the welcome and exit signs indicate that the community is getting developed.

“By 1989 when we first moved to establish a home here, this place was a complete bush, and it was my intention to open a rubber factory. It was in that process that war came, and we fled away. However, we are happy the people who came after us thought to name the community in our honor,” Paul Rennie said.

Victor George, the Director of Public Relations and Communications at Coca-Cola Liberia said his company was proud of the success of their partnership with the city.

Victor George, Head of Public Relations and Communications for Coca-Cola Liberia. Photo: Gbatemah Senah

He encouraged private companies to form partnerships with public entities to make positive impacts on the lives of people.

Meanwhile, the representative for Montserrado’s fourth district, Henry Fahnbulleh, has pledged budgetary support to Paynesville.

Henry Fahnbulleh, Montserrado’s fourth district representative. Photo: Gbatemah Senah

Fahnbulleh said Paynesville is the fastest growing municipality in the country, and as such its leadership must be given fiscal support.

He said despite constraints in the national budget, he would lobby with other lawmakers to support the development program of the city.

He praised Gibson for her continuous commitment to bringing development to the city.

Featured photo by Gbatemah Senah