Group wants signs honoring Reagan up along U.S. 290

A new nonprofit organization was created in February to raise $24,000 needed to erect two signs officially designating U.S. 290 as the Ronald Reagan Memorial Highway.

It has been seven years since a stretch of the highway in Harris County has been renamed in honor of the nation's 40th president, Ronald Reagan, yet highway signs have remained unchanged. State Rep. Dwayne Bohac, R-Houston, who authored legislation in 2005 renaming a substantial portion of Houston's Northwest Freeway after the famed Republican president, is asking private sector companies and citizens to donate money to finally replace two signs along the highway with ones reflecting the name change.

According to the legislation authorizing the name change, the signage changes are not to be paid with public dollars. House Bill 540 requires the Texas Department of Transportation to construct and erect the new highway signs reflecting the name change only when the agency receives enough private donations to cover the costs.

"In the spirit of President Reagan's belief in the private sector, the Texas Legislature trusted that patriotic citizens would come together to make this a reality," Bohac said. "Plus, I'm very cheap and I don't think this is something the government should fund."

According to ReaganHighway.org, the fund's official website, two green and white 8.5-foot by 18.5-foot signs would be constructed to indicate the highway number along with the new name designation. The first phase of the project is to raise $12,000 to place a highway marker at the westbound U.S. 290 and Beltway 8 interchange. The second phase of the signage project is also estimated to cost $12,000 and would place the highway marker at the eastbound U.S. 290 Harris County/Waller County line.

Several elected officials, Bohac said, have already contributed about $12,000 to the nonprofit fund.

Those wishing to donate money to the memorial highway project may visit the fund's website.

Donations online can be made via credit card or electronic check in any amount.

Donations may also be set up as single or recurring contributions.

Bohac officially kicked off the nonprofit funding project last month in honor of what would have been Reagan's 101st birthday, and said he hopes to have the signs built and erected by the end of this year.

Bohac said state Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, and state Rep. Allen Fletcher, R-Tomball, are joining him in promoting the memorial highway fund across Harris County.

Any funds raised above the $24,000 needed for the signs will be used to finance other projects along the memorial highway such as landscaping. Bohac said he also would like to see a mural in honor of Reagan designed on an underpass.

"I am honored to launch this collaborative effort to complete the Ronald Reagan Memorial Highway project," Bohac said. "During these challenging times for our country, it is fitting to pay tribute to one of our strongest leaders who inspired true hope."

Reagan, who served two terms as president for most of the 1980s, has been one of America's "strongest leaders who inspired true hope," Bohac said. He said anyone, regardless of the political isle they are on, should be encouraged to donate.

"Regan's support transcended political boundaries as evidenced by his electoral support," he said. "He was a universally transcendent figure that comes around rarely in our political lifetime."

Reagan is one of three men in the state representative's life that inspired Bohac's own life. When Bohac was 26 years old, he got to spend about 20 minutes with Reagan.

"It was the early 1990s, right after the president retired in Los Angeles," he said. "It was just really a terrific experience for me."

Bohac even named his son, Reagan, after the president who died in 2004.

"After president Reagan's death, that was probably one of the most popular names," Bohac said. "I think every class my son has been in since he has been going to school there have been probably two or three Reagans, both females and males."

Bohac wants those who travel the highway to "remember how great America can be" and to be encouraged to "always travel down the road of liberty, opportunity and prosperity," ideals he said Reagan spoke about during one his last speeches made in Houston during a Republican political convention held in 1992.

Linda Dewhurst, a Republican Party political activist and founder of the Daughters of Liberty Republican Women, serves on the Ronald Reagan Memorial Highway Fund's board of directors. When she first heard of the move to rename the highway in honor of Reagan, Dewhurst said she knew she wanted to get involved.

She is promoting the project to her friends and social network, helping to bring in donations.

"I just have a lot of respect for Ronald Reagan," she said. "He had a lot to do with me ever getting interested in and following politics at all. When he was running for president in the 1980s, he really spoke to my heart."

Dewhurst said Reagan's conservative ideals are timeless and "just as important today as they were when he was running for president."

"Even before he was running for president, he ran ads on the radio that just talked about our country and what it stands for and what is great about it," she said. "He was such an optimist. I think when people see his name it will bring back those thoughts. There are people who still value that character and that impression of our country. I think the signs will be an affirmation to people when they see his name up there."

 

Allen Jones is a freelance writer and can be reached at allen.jones74@comcast.net

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