Questions from A Telling Sign

Everyone knows that Wordsmith Mansion is situated on the side of a long-extinct volcanic cinder cone that is now called Halloran's Hill, (sometimes written with an apostrophe; more frequently without). Apart from a small patch of forest, this hill area was cleared by and named after a farmer named Halloran.

In order to encourage visitors and locals to visit our mansion and to enjoy the great scene from the summit of the hill, there have been 10 directional or tourism signs erected in aproximately 1.5 kilometres from the edge of the CBD (Central Business District for commercial cognoscenti). The Word Police have reported that a crime has been committed with the erection of an eleventh sign to guide befuddled voyagers. Obviously, someone in Council decided that the message was not getting through, or they hadn't spent this year's signage allocation, so a very large sign was commissioned to be set up about 50 metres from two existing signs, thus providing a bit more reading material for motorists about to negotiate the Robert Street roundabout.

It would be interesting to discover just how many people were involved in the planning and implementation of this project. Did Councillors debate and decide before adding to Atherton's sign collection ? Did they pass their decision onto a CEO and other Council office employees ? Was there one decision-maker who signed off on the wording, layout, etc. before involving a sign-writing firm or council sub-section where specialists in the construction of such creations went into action ? Was there a council representative who okayed the finished product before passing it on to the labouring force to erect in the Main Street ? A crew of at least 4 men would have toiled assiduously for at least one day to erect the sign and stand back, tired but proud of their masterpiece.

There was only one small problem overlooked ! The name "Hallorans" had been misspelt with the transposition of two vowels to create "Hallarons Hill". What will happen now ? How long will this visual affront remain to provide bewilderment and amusement for visitors and locals? Will the sign remain untouched, or will the whole process have to be repeated at further cost? Will the offending section be merely covered over with a remedial patch ? Mr Halloran must be turning in his grave with anger or amusement !