Beatty considering moving town mural to park

BEATTY — It might be said that the Sept. 11 Beatty Town Advisory Board meeting was not a “moving” experience.

A somewhat larger than usual audience was on hand, apparently interested in an agenda item concerning the idea of moving the town mural to the Robert A. and Florence Revert Park.

The railroad-themed mural reflecting the town’s history as a railroad town is mounted on the west side of a Janda Ribbons building facing U.S. Highway 95. Badly sun-faded, it is in the process of being refurbished by the artist, Laura Cunningham.

Board member Randy Reed brought up the idea of moving the mural to the park. He mentioned several factors in favor of the move.

He said that several people had told him that it would look good in that location. “It would actually be on our (the town’s) land,” he added. He also said that if it were placed on the northwest side of the park it would be less subject to fading from sunlight.

Another factor is that the empty property between the mural and the highway is owned by Arco, and if they should decide to put a structure on it the view of the mural would be obstructed.

Reed also said that having the mural at the park would facilitate use of solar lighting that was purchased for the mural a long time ago.

Chairman Dick Gardner was the first to apply the brakes to the proposal. He said that he was not against the idea of moving the mural, but that now was not the time. He and treasurer Erika Gerling felt that everything in the new park needed to be paid for before considering any other expense related to it.

Money was set aside to pay for the park, but Gerling pointed out that some additional items had been put in the park, and they were still awaiting receipt of grant money. At least one item, a memorial wall, has yet to be installed.

There were also technical questions about moving the mural: what kind of support it would need, and what would be involved in moving the metal panels it is painted on without damaging them.

So, although no one on the board was against the idea of moving the mural, the sense was that it was something to consider in the future, and the matter was tabled indefinitely.

The rest of the business of the meeting had to do with the process of electing members to fill the seats currently held by Gerling and Reed.

The board established Oct. 20 as the deadline for those interested in running for the board to submit letters of intent. These can be given to the town secretary, Carrie Radomski.

Radomski said that the informal election needed to take place early enough to submit the results to the Board of County Commissioners so that its members could make the appointments in their December meeting.

The informal election, if one is necessary, will be held at 6 p.m. on Nov. 6, just before the board’s meeting that evening. No election is needed if no more than two people submit letters of intent, in which case those two names would be automatically submitted to the county commission for appointment.

Richard Stephens is a freelance writer living in Beatty.