New Nipomo welcome sign created by local teen for Eagle Scout project

NIPOMO, Calif. – A brand new welcome sign for Nipomo has been created at the town's busiest intersection by a local teenager who came with the idea to complete his Eagle Scout service project.

The sign, which reads, "Welcome to Olde Towne Nipomo, Pride of the Foothills," sits at the northeast corner of Tefft Street, where it passes over Highway 101. The sign is located on a small piece of property near the entrance to where McDonald's/Chevron are located.

The location of the new sign is also at the entrance point of "Olde Towne Nipomo," which sits east of the freeway and at the foot of the hills of the Temetate Ridge. The name of Nipomo is derived from the Chumash Indian word "Nepomah," which is translated to "the foot of the hills."

"I'm really, really happy with how it turned out," said Chase Hadden, who led the effort to build the sign. "It's taken a while, but I'm just really ecstatic. I'm just so happy. It turned out to be a lot better than I expected to be honest."

To fulfill the final requirement needed to earn the highest rank in the Boy Scouts of America program, Hadden needed to lead a project that would result in a significant impact to the community.

"I needed a project and we just got to brainstorming," said Hadden. "I have lived here for a while, and I wanted to do something for the community, and I noticed that we didn't have a sign, and A.G. has a sign. Santa Maria has a sign, and so many other places have a sign, and I felt it would be a really nice addition to bring the community together to have one."

Once the he came up with the idea, Hadden spent several months going through various channels to have the project approved.

"It was a lot," said Hadden, who is beginning his senior year at Nipomo High School this week. "We had to have the County's approval. We had to have McDonald's and Chevron's approval, the landowner's approval and then the Scout parent board approval."

Once the project was approved, Hadden needed to acquire the necessary funds to pay for construction costs.

He said he was able to receive all of the money needed to build the sign from grant funds obtained through different sources, including from the Olde Towne Nipomo Association.

Fellow Scouts with Troop 450 in Nipomo helped provide volunteers hours to prepare the site, while several others also contributed to the project.

"I want to say thank you to everybody who has helped make this possible," said Hadden. "I hope you guys love it as much as I do!"

An official unveiling is expect to held at the sign sometime in the near future.

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