BC repaint: Countdown is on

It’s almost time to don that old pair of jeans, the ratty tennis shoes in the back of your closet and a shirt you’re not worried about ruining.

The community is encouraged to turn out at 8 a.m. on Saturday, March 23, for the repainting of the BC on Radar Mountain, which has been in its current location for nearly 40 years but hasn’t received a touch-up in a decade.

As previously reported in the Review last month, an informal meeting was held that included Boulder City Chamber CEO Jill Rowland Lagan, Desert Sun Realty owner Bret Runion, longtime Boulder City High School teacher Cheryl Herr and local historian Bill Rackey to discuss the repainting of the BC, which is visible from many parts of town.

“After the initial announcement of an effort to freshen up the paint on the BC, we had calls of appreciation and a much-needed donation to see our symbol of community pride looking its best,” Lagan said.

Those lending a helping hand are asked to meet at the Bootleg Canyon Mountain Bike Trail’s lower parking lot/restrooms at the end of Canyon Drive off Industrial Road, past the roundabout. Anyone with old mops and 5-gallon buckets are asked to bring them. There’s a mountain bike trail that goes from the restrooms to above the BC.

The group decided to open it up to the community at large in order to get as many people to assist as possible. In 2014, those doing the work consisted mostly of high school seniors even though it was not a school-sanctioned event.

For Runion, who offered to cover the cost of the paint, the BC may mean a bit more to him than the average longtime resident. It was his BCHS class of 1985 that painted the B in its current location. Two years later, the class of 1987 added the C to help distinguish itself from the B over the hill for Basic High School. Contrary to what some may think, the BC does not stand for Bootleg Canyon.

For nearly 30 years, however, a lone B could be seen off of what is now San Felipe Drive, off Adams Boulevard. That area is still affectionately referred to as B Hill.

This week, Runion said he’s received a lot of positive feedback on the project and hopes that equates to plenty of people turning out. He’s hopeful younger residents will lend a hand since it does include manual labor on the side of a mountain.

Someone who has thrown his full support behind the community paint day is Mayor Joe Hardy.

“The community takes great pride in the BC letters on the hill like a beacon welcoming them home,” he said last week. “What’s remarkable about this effort is that so many people from the community want to be a part of the restoration. I look forward to seeing the finished product.”

Ron Eland is editor of the Boulder City Review. He can be reached at reland@bouldercityreview.com or at 702-586-9523.