Road Sign Revamp
For years I drove by this sign once a week on Ranch Road 165 on my way from Austin to Boerne. Each time, I said to myself, “They should do something about that.” I teach a course on leadership, and I tell my students that there is no “they.” They are the “they.” It only took a couple of years for that lesson to sink in on me. With one phone call to Blanco County Commissioner Paul Granberg, who has been on the job for thirty years, the ball started rolling fast.
According to Paul, these billboards were erected by the county in the 1960s during the Johnson administration. There were six of them; one on every major road leading into Blanco. Today, only one remains standing with another on Ranch Road 1623 in a repairable state. The goal of this campaign is to raise the $16,000 necessary to rebuild these signs and provide for their care and maintenance.
Paul put me in touch with Bernard Mollberg who lives off RR 165 near the billboard and he organized a great team of neighbors to orchestrate the project of rebuilding the signs. Bernard is serving as project coordinator and treasurer. The immensely talented and experienced carpenter Art Brooks is going to handle the woodwork and acclaimed professional artist and muralist Adrian Landon Brooks is going to recreate this incredible piece of history. With assistance and permission from landowner Travis Payton, this team expects to complete the work in about a month.
I am serving as head cheerleader and fundraiser and have committed to fully fund maintenance and upkeep once the new signs are erected. Will you please consider pitching in to help us preserve a piece of history? You too can become one of the “they” that are doing something to make this happen.
Team Member Profiles
This project never would have started without the knowledge and assistance of Blanco County commissioner Paul Granberg who has been serving in his role for thirty years. He has been instrumental in guiding us and connecting the dots to all the right people. Travis Payton owns the land on RR 165 where the first sign is erected. We thank him for his support and cooperation.
The rest of the all-star cast includes:
A 5th generation Texan, Bernard Mollberg is serving as the local coordinator for rebuilding this historic billboard. He was the first person Paul Granberg called for help. Bernard has lived and worked for over 20 years on the mesa just up the road above the sign. He says, "In my 40+ year career restoring fine pianos, I have plenty of experience in rebuilding and restoring unusual things. We’ve assembled a remarkable team of craftsmen and artists to accomplish this restoration - and we all live within a 4-mile circle of each other!"
Art Brooks is an immensely talented and experienced carpenter that has lived near the sign and worked as a one-man construction crew since Thanksgiving 1999. Art says, “I was born in Dallas in 1957 and now live in Blanco County. I have spent decades working in commercial construction and landscape irrigation. I live two miles from the billboard and certainly cannot count the number of times I have passed it in the past 21 years. I can say I notice it almost every time I go by. To be a part of this restoration feels personal to me and is an honor.”
As fortune would have it, we also have a professional artist and muralist living in the neighborhood. Adrian Landon Brooks moved to this part of the Hill Country a little over six years ago with his wife, Dalyce, a Blanco County native. Adrian plans to recreate the sign in a retro style with some modern touches and visual upgrades. He says, “This area of Texas has shaped my creative direction greatly and never ceases to inspire me. I normally travel quite a bit for my work so this will be a real treat for me. I love the idea of giving back to the community with my craft and restoring an important piece of history.” You can check out his work at www.adrianlandonbrooks.com.
Bill Poston is the Instigator-in-Chief and the person responsible for raising the funds necessary to complete the project. Bill is an entrepreneur, business advisor, investor, philanthropist, educator, and adventurer. He is the founder or principal owner of over twenty companies and nonprofit enterprises. He passes the billboard every week on his drive to his family home outside of Boerne and says, “This has been an incredibly rewarding experience. The way the people of the community have stepped up to make this happen is truly inspiring.” You can learn more about Bill at his website www.bill-poston.com.