By Susan Bromley
Staff Writer
Brandon Twp.- Travelers on M-15 will get a warmer welcome to the township next year with the installation of two new signs.
The township board approved with enthusiasm an offer by Tyler Solo to build two ‘Welcome to Brandon Township? signs as his Eagle Scout project.
‘I’m very excited about this project,? said Supervisor Kathy Thurman at the board’s Oct. 6 meeting during which Solo proposed his plan. ‘We’ve had residents ask when we are going to have a nice sign welcoming people to our township. I was waiting for an Eagle Scout to come along.?
Trustee Dana DePalma agreed.
‘I’ve always been jealous of the Groveland (Township) sign.?
Solo, a member of Boy Scout Troop 139 and Brandon High School freshman, has been in scouts since second grade and recently began thinking about the community project that is necessary to reach Eagle Scout, the highest ranking in scouts. He, too, had noticed the Groveland Township welcome signs and wanted something nice for Brandon.
He and his father, Bernie, will use weather resistant materials and carve the signs on a router machine.
“The main misunderstanding about Eagle Scout projects is that the leader of the project has to do everything himself,” said Solo. “It’s a leadership project and I can manage it. The project is not about the building, it’s about the leadership.”
The signs will be approximately 6 feet wide by 4 feet high and will stand 7 feet tall with posts. They will be colorfully painted with high quality coatings and will meet all Michigan Department of Transportation guidelines for safety requirements. One sign will be located along M-15 near Oakhill Road as drivers head north into the township, while the other sign will be located on M-15 near Grange Hall Road as travelers head south.
The estimated cost of each sign is $950. Solo plans to have fundraisers and seek donations to cover the cost of the project.