LSM Class of 2017 achieves its goals

The Leadership San marcos Class of 2017 raised enough money for the Gateway Sign and was also able to donate $5,000 to the Greater San Marcos Youth Council.

The class worked with the city’s management/permitcenter/engineering department and agreed on a design that both the city and the class were happy with. Elizabeth Ehlers was instrumental in working with the various city departments to get the sign approved and permitted. After the sign design was approved, Laura Murray started gathering all the in kind donations together and the sign building process began.

Gary Job Corps provided the labor from their award winning cement program. Gary was tasked with laying a level and structurally sound base for the 4-ton concrete sign.

Pete Quintero of Quintero’s Concrete donated his machinery and labor and compacted the ground to make ready for Gary Job Corps and the sign base. Gary came out and poured the base. Heldenfels then made the 4-ton behemoth sign backing. “Once everything was cured and ready, I stepped in and coordinated the build,” said Ernie Valdez, Ernie’s Paint & Body Shop. “We needed to rent a large fork lift to carry the behemoth off the trailer that Heldenfels donated for delivery. Problem was that the fork lift driver dropped the fork lift on the wrong street so the driver tried to drive the fork lift across a field to the sign’s site. The fork lift sank down to the axles in the mud from a recent rain and would not budge. A quick call to Tony/ Barbara Rios of Rios Towing and he was able to help pull the fork lift out of the mud and save the day by pulling the fork lift out because a replacement fork lift could not get to us in time. Rios donated their services to our class project after hearing about the LSM organization and our community project,” Valdez said.

Billy Kane of KCLC construction donated his labor and materials to stain the sign and the sign company came out and affixed the art work and lettering.

• Submitted by Leaderhip San Marcos