Signage and Signs

The Community events sign, after almost a year of talking, thinking, and planning has been made manifest this week, at least in an initial stage. The old sign was removed and the new 16-foot tall posts were erected and concrete was poured to set them in stone. There is yet to be a roof constructed and placed, and some kind of planting, and the actual sign itself placed. And there is a solar panel ready that will provide some lighting (though not so much in the winter because, of course, not so much sun).

It has been an extraordinary long time coming although, having attended one meeting a month for over a year, I can’t actually say why it took so long. Perhaps it is just that, as one of the occasional attendees said to me yesterday, “In Point Roberts, nothing happens fast.” But it has happened, and it has been designed to last a long time and will doubtless be well used.

It has required a lot of help, and it has received a lot of help, including cash donations from individuals and organizations (the Voters’ Association, Stanton Northwest Properties, and the P.R. Chamber of Commerce), and donations of materials, especially from Neilson’s Hardware (those 16-foot 8x8 posts weigh in at almost $400). So it truly has had support from many parts of the community.

And as for me? Well, life teaches you a lot of lessons, even when you don’t necessarily want to learn them, and this foray into community organizations has been that kind of lesson for me. I spent lots of years starting and developing ethics committees in hospitals and thought I knew something about working with a disparate group. But it never occurred to me that a group could exist that would have no particular membership, no clear purpose, and no particular commitment, other than to a single task. But it must exist because now the new sign does, and that means the Community Association must have been there to bring it into being. The new sign truly owes its existence to the small number of people who stayed with the task and the group throughout the months. The community owes them their thanks. And they taught me a lot, as well.