Mural may finally get touch up
News editor
Farmers aren’t the only ones who’ve been trying to outguess the weather this past month.
Administrator Roger Holter says rain is to blame for foiling several attempts to touch-up the mural in Marion’s Liberty Park.
A planned volunteer day June 6 had to be aborted because painting would have been for naught, Holter said.
“It rained, and because it was tuckpointed with fresh concrete, it absorbs water. We couldn’t put the paint on it because it would have popped back off,” he said. “We were trying to get it done by Flag Day, but it didn’t work.”
With the volunteer option scuttled, Holter turned to city crews to do the work.
“That’s what we were going to try to do, since we couldn’t get it coordinated as a community project,” Holter said.
Both rain and emergencies interfered with that plan.
“We’ve tried with public works twice, and both times we’ve been shut down by rain. If we put the scaffolding in we have a problem,” Holter said.
Once the weather became more conducive to painting, water interfered in other ways. Crews have been diverted to deal with water main and sewer line issues.
“The water main that broke in front of Power Pros on Main St., we had to put the crew over there to re-do the sidewalk. We still have work to do on the street,” Holter said.
Demolition of a house on Hudson St. revealed a collapsed sewer line that also had to be repaired.
Holter won’t have to juggle city crews anymore, thanks to a Durham area resident who has volunteered to take on the touch-up.
Joy Waldbauer said she drove to Marion two weeks ago to look at the mural, and knew then she wanted to help.
“It’s so beautiful, and it’s a tribute to 9/11,” she said. “My son, Andrew, served in Iraq, and so many stepped up. Now it’s time for me to step up and honor them.”
Waldbauer said she has two friends who are willing to help, and estimated it would take two weeks to do the work.
Holter said he will meet Friday with Waldbauer to look at the mural and discuss plans. He’s hopeful the timing is right this time for the touch-up to be completed.
“Normally when we get to the end of July we get into that drier part of the year, and we’re hoping that will give us more prospects for getting it done.”