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Council green lights golf course land
Furor over
softball fields remains
Group works on a
vision for Dundee's downtown
YCAP asks
communities to `adopt'
a room for homeless families
Mural
defacing
draws ire |
Attempting to deal with a leaky wall at the Dundee
fire station may require removing art work |
By Amy Grennell, Newberg
Graphic reporter
E-mail Amy at agrennell@eaglenewspapers.com
Don’t go messing with the mural in Dundee.
That’s the lesson learned when portions of the mural on the west wall of the Dundee
Fire Department came off during powerwashing and several citizens became alarmed.
The mural was painted on the building by Marge Pettit after artist Shannon
Ray helped local elementary students design it in 1999. The wall was being cleaned before
George Fox University students, as part of their annual Serve Day, could paint the
surrounding walls, not over the mural, according to City Administrator Eve Foote.
“The situation was we had an opportunity for the George Fox kids to do a
service project and the project was painting the public works and fire department
buildings,” Foote said of the mural problem.
“One of the thoughts is that side of the wall has been leaking and the
moisture comes in and there’s crystallization on the inside and that effect causes
the peeling of the mural and they naturally fade. They used the power washer and before it
went to council, public works said that a piece came off ... that threw the alarm and a
tizzy.”
The wall leaking moisture is a problem due to the fire equipment being stored
on the other side.
Dundee Fire Chief John Stock said the wall needs to be sealed inside and out
and that part of the preparation for the GFU students included power washing the entire
side of the building, including the mural.
“The building and the vehicles and equipment are being destroyed because
the water is coming through the block,” he said. “It’s damaging stuff
inside the fire apparatus. All the paint needs to come off the exterior so you can get it
down to it’s original base, and you can’t do that on loose paint. The west wall
isn’t keeping out the weather.”
City councilor Dian Maybury, along with other city councilors, were upset
with the mural’s condition after powerwashing. At a recent council meeting it was
decided that Maybury arrange a meeting with Ray to see whether the mural could be
salvaged, but also if she has any ideas for sealing the wall.
“It needs to be sandwiched between sealant,” Maybury said, adding
no one is sure if a sealant or base coat was put on the wall before it was painting.
“It was a nice, positive activity for the kids,” she said, adding
that the mural was supposed to have three parts — past, present and future — but
never went past the first stage. “It was intended to be the first panel, but we knew
the building wasn’t where it needed to be (seismically).”
The building, because of its age, cannot be seismically upgraded to make
state requirements, although it has undergone some reinforcing to make it more stable.
However the west wall is currently problematic and won’t get any better in the rainy
months ahead, officials said.
GFU students painted all of the fire station’s exterior with the
exception of the mural and the surrounding wall.
Ray will meet with city officials this week to discuss how to seal the mural,
if it’s possible, as well as the wall itself. Whether the mural will be painted over
has yet to be determined. |
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From Sept. 20,
2003, Newberg Graphic
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