The Downtown Doorways group decided last winter to sponsor a mural contest and solicited entries for historical murals that could enhance the downtown buildings in appropriate places and serve as an enticement to people travelling through the area to stop and see what it might have to offer. The mural project received two entries that depicted historical events in the late 1800’s and we took them to local groups to try to show them what we had in mind. The appreciation was evident but funding for the projects has not progressed to meet the need. There is some interest from the Sunsweet Corporation to have a mural on their building coming into town from the east on Highway 20 showing the history of the prune industry in the area. The Airport Commission has also been approached with the idea of having Hal Tacker paint some old crop duster type planes on the buildings at the airport to honor all the local aviators that are part of Colusa’s past and present. This is still under consideration and we will do a formal presentation at the next commission meeting to see if we can move forward. Capturing attention of travelers is a wonderful way to build up the local businesses that will benefit from any dollars spent. We want people to see Colusa with the best foot forward, or in this case the best historical depiction forward. There is a process currently that is trying to identify local spots of interest with historical and informational plaques. The murals will be another enticement in the same direction. The funding for the installation of the murals is a crucial step in making them a reality for the community. From every dollar that is spent in local businesses, forty-five cents stays in the local economy. Whereas from every dollar spent a big box stores we are lucky to see ten cents. We need to remember that shopping in Colusa is the only way we can really grow and prosper. The mural project is a positive step in that direction.

If you would like to donate to the Colusa Mural Project Fund, donations can be sent to P.O. Box 871, Arbuckle CA 95912, or at the Colusa branch of Wells Fargo Bank.