Finding your way around Mineral Point is a little easier lately, thanks to helpful hands and some heavy-duty black ink.

Geri U’Ren, K-12 religious education leader at St. Mary’s and St. Paul’s Catholic Church, is always on the lookout for community service opportunities for church youth.

“I walk a lot and it bugs me when I see signs I can’t read,” Geri said. Seeing an opportunity for improvement, Geri talked to the city about having 9th graders revamp the signs to earn service hours for confirmation.

Upon receiving the city’s approval, the students – armed with ladders, heavy-duty black permanent markers and a lecture on safety – set about town making navigation easier for city inhabitants and the occasional bewildered tourist.

Mineral Point is in the process of replacing its street signs. According to city administrator Debi Heisner, regulatory street signs (stop, yield, etc.) must be replaced by 2018. The new signs will be reflective and meet current standards. The familiar black-and-white street signs will be replaced ward-by-ward as needed.

Not everyone is thrilled with replacing the signs. “The signs should reflect our historic town. The old ones have the raised letters and the finials,” Geri said. But people are happy with the effort the young adults are putting into the old ones.

Jaynie Gorgen, Jaycie Runde, Jalissa Weier, Rebekah Ottoway, Kyla Steffes and Sydney Staver stand in front of a now-legible Shake Rag street sign.

“When the kids are out painting the signs, people stop and thank them. The kids feel good about their service and that people recognize it,” Geri said.

The old signs may eventually come down, even the ones that are legible. Geri’s response: “In the meantime, why not have the town look better?”

– Contributed by Susan Webb