Stone Signs & Markers Guide the Way

November 1, 2017 Margaret Magnus

By Margaret Magnus

The wooden signs were fading. The painted signs had letters missing. There was masking tape over outdated information. A small painted rock sign had disappeared. What was left was a hodgepodge of deteriorating signs.

Repair or Replace?

The question was then whether to repair the existing signs or come up with a comprehensive plan, create a cohesive look and implement a long-term solution.

The Board of Directors – with guidance from the Signage Committee and the Master Plan – chose to focus on a long-term solution.

MEMBERS OF THE SIGN COMMITTEE walk the property to discuss the signage options. (Left to right): Marta Flores, sign advocate; Jim Whitson, board member; Buzz Glasky, manager/caretaker; Bryon Pinckert, architect volunteer; Nancy Pinckert, graphic desinger; and Margaret Magnus, communications director. (Photo: Sam Ervin, January 2016)

Why Are Signs and Markers Significant?

Why are signs and markers significant? To commemorate and mark touchstones related to Avatar Meher Baba’s 1956 visit.

Equally, as the number of visitors to Meher Mount increases each year – a 17% increase in the past two years to more than 1,500 visits in 2016 – it is important to have signs that inform, guide and orient these visitors.

Meher Mount brought to fruition a project that was years in the making: 14 stone signs and markers starting at the gateway entrance and continuing through the property to Baba's Tree and Avatar's Point.

These markers create lasting reminders of Avatar Meher Baba’s presence at Meher Mount for the guidance of present and future generations of visitors.

The Guidelines

The committee identified guidelines for the replacement of the existing signs and the addition of other signs:

Be practical and take into account the weather and the intense UV light.
Strive for consistency and cohesion. Integrate with existing materials, colors, and designs related to Meher Mount’s communications and buildings.
Be harmonious with the beauty of nature and integrate into the land.
Add to, not detract from, the experience of being at Meher Mount.
Provide enough general information, with more specific guidelines in print and on the website.

A Balance

Stewardship of Meher Mount is a balance between minimizing the long-term impact of development and usage on the land and creating a maximum opportunity for visitors to enjoy nature and the special atmosphere that is Meher Mount.

The Signage Committee was faced with that balancing act: signs to mark Meher Mount, identify key spots on the property and help direct visitors, while at the same time fit with the natural beauty of Meher Mount.

Sandstone Is a Natural

AVATAR'S POINT after the stone sign/place marker is installed. (Photo: Margaret Magnus, 2017)

Graphic designer Nancy Pinckert suggested using stone. The stone material was not only of the earth, but could also withstand weather, intense ultraviolet light, and time.

She located Stonehenge Signs, Inc. of Quincy, CA. In discussions with then-owner Rob Conover, he suggested using Blond Quartzite Sandstone. It matched the local stone and soil in the Ojai area and was easy to work with.

The sizes of the stones varied and were chosen based on the ability to read them from a distance and to be clearly visible to all. The design was simple – a few words and the logo. The Pristina type font was used to be consistent with the Meher Mount logo.

How Do Visitors Find Meher Mount?

SAM ERVIN, board president, and Rob Conover of Stonehenge Signs, Inc. guide the crane operator in installing the gateway sign. (Photo: Margaret Magnus, January 2017)

Visitors often wander up the hill on Sulphur Mountain Road for some reason or no reason at all and turn unexpectedly into the driveway.

Over the years, the stories repeat themselves. “My car just turned into the driveway.” “We were out for a drive to look at the views and saw this sign and came in.” “I ride my mountain bike up here all the time and just noticed your sign.”

A stone sign marks the gateway entrance to Meher Mount.

What to Say?

How much information on each sign? Which key spots and paths needed signs? What would the signs look like? All were questions that were answered. In developing the final signage plan, the committee walked the property more than once taking notes, measurements and evaluating options.

There are two major stone signs designed to help orient visitors and provide basic guidelines that help to preserve Meher Mount.

WELCOME sign just outside the gate. (Photo: Margaret Magnus, January 2017)

“WHAT IS THIS PLACE?” Because Meher Mount gets so many first-time visitors (more than half, at least), they often ask, “What is this place?” Meher Mount is a place of universal pilgrimage dedicated to Avatar Meher Baba. (Photo: Nancy Pinckert, January 2017)

Meher Mount is a sacred place to open to all. It is important to orient first-time visitors, have them register, and provide signs that help guide them and make the visit more enjoyable for all.

DIANE CONOVER of Stonehenge Signs, Inc. dusting off all the signs, including this one for Avatar's Point. (Photo: Margaret Magnus, January 2017)

Signs Installed

It was one of those glorious winter days in Southern California with clear skies and crisp weather when the group gathered at Meher Mount to install 14 new stone signs and markers.

The Stone Sign & Marker project had been carefully planned. The signs were thoughtfully designed. The sizes of stones specifically chosen after several on-site visits. The final step was actually installing the signs in the ground.

NANCY & BRYON PINCKERT and the Stone Sign & Marker Committee determine placement and final sizes of the stones using cardboard cutouts before the signs go into production. (Photo: Margaret Magnus, November 2016)

On January 12, 2017, Rob Conover and his wife Diane of Stonehenge Signs, Inc. arrived at Meher Mount from Quincy, CA – a distance of about 535 miles – with 14 signs on a flat-bed truck.

THE 14 SIGNS were transported from Stonehenge Signs, Inc. in from Quincy, CA - a distance of about 535 miles - to Meher Mount in Ojai, CA. They are photographed outside the motel in downtown Oaji where Rob and Diane Conover stayed before delivering the signs to Meher Mount. (Photo: Margaret Magnus, 2017)

Several Days of Prep Required

MANAGER/CARETAKER BUZZ GLASKY digs 14 holes that had been carefully marked in preparation for the sign installation. (Photo: Ginger Glasky, 2017)

Before the arrival of the stone signs, Manager/Caretakers Buzz & Ginger Glasky had carefully prepared each of the selected sites.

Buzz and his grandson, Austin Bernard, dug 14 holes of sufficient size to hold the base of the signs. They spread a truckload of mixed gravel, sand, and rocks to act as a base. They had number of various-sized boulders delivered to help prop up and stabilize the signs.

Finally, a crane and a crane operator were hired to join the group in the early hours to begin installation.

A Two-Hour Delay While the Crane Gets Unstuck

THE TRUCK, CRANE and operator setting up before lowering a parking sign into place. (Photo: Margaret Magnus, January 2017)

The good news is that the winter rains had made the ground soft and easy for digging holes. The bad news is that the winter rains had made the ground soft and easy for digging holes causing the crane to get stuck in the soft dirt in the parking area. The driver – with some coaching from the group – spent two hours getting out of the mud.

With that problem solved, installation continued culminating in the sign at the front gate.

The Legacy Gateway Sign

THE NEW HOME for the cedar gateway sign created by Jim Auster in 2001. It's on the outside of the Workshop facing the Topa Topa Patio. (Photo: Margaret Magnus, 2017)

The previous five-foot entryway sign was carved in cedar by Jim Auster in 2001. There is a beautiful spreading oak tree evoking Baba’s Tree and with the words “Meher Mount” engraved at the bottom.

It was Jim's inspiration to write "Meher Mount" in letters that are a copy of Meher Baba's handwriting found in the book, In God's Hand. The sign was installed at Meher Mount as part of the 4th Annual Young Adult Sahavas, August 22-26, 2001. It served Meher Mount well. Most recently, it had gotten harder to read as the wood weathered.

This sign was relocated to the Topa Topa Patio and serves as a perfect backdrop for programs and picnics.

Thank You

A HAPPY GROUP after 14 stone signs and markers have been installed. (Left to right): Rob Conover, Sam Ervin, Diane Conover, two helpers, Buzz Glasky, Ginger Glasky. (Photo: Margaret Magnus, 2017)

Thank you to the Signage Committee: Margaret Magnus, communications director; Nancy Pinckert, designer and production manager; Marta Flores, sign advocate and frequent visitor; Ron Holsey, chair of the Landscaping Committee; Jim Whitson, board member; Buzz and Ginger Glasky, current manager/caretakers; and Ray Johnston, former manager/caretaker. They were aided by Byron Pinckert, consulting architect; Sam Ervin, board president; and Ken Pellman, supporter.

Stonehenge Signs, Inc. produced all the signs and supervised on-site installation. Rob Conover’s advice, prodding and involvement helped shape and drive the project to completion. The removable information plaques embedded in two of the signs were produced by Machan Sign Company in Long Beach, CA.

BABA'S TREE at Meher Mount is a touchstone for most visitors who often find inspiration, solace and rejuvenation under the Tree. (Photo: Margaret Magnus, 2017)

The selected stone signs and markers are intended to reflect the permanence of the Avataric presence.