The Route 66 Pedestrian Underpass Mural in Chelsea, Oklahoma, that opened to the public less than two weeks ago already has been vandalized.
But at least the mural itself was spared from the defacing. Kenneth Hollingshead from Sapulpa, Oklahoma, and 9-year-old Parker Stanbro of Chelsea painted the mural’s collage of Chelsea landmarks, including the 1926 Pryor Creek Bridge that once carried the oldest alignment of U.S. 66 and the long-closed but still standing Chelsea Motel.
The Daily Progress in nearby Claremore, Oklahoma, reported:
The wall opposite the mural is what vandals are defacing, according to Dale Clark, board member of Project Chelsea, which was formed to stimulate Chelsea’s economic growth.
Muddy footprints were found on the wall, Clark said, as well as obscene and offensive statements. The vandalism led to cleaning and two new coats of paint in some areas.
More police presence and cameras are in the works to prevent further occurrences.
Debi Ward, director of Rogers County Industrial Development Authority (RCIDA), said, “We do have plans to install surveillance cameras. We knew stuff like this would happen.”
The town’s police chief said he was determining whether the suspect would be charged with a misdemeanor or felony if he or she were caught.
The other wall in the overpass is designed as a signature wall for Route 66 travelers. Leaders at Project Chelsea saw the recently refurbished tunnel as a way for tourists to spend more time in their town.
As an example, a group of South Korean cyclists who were traveling Route 66 toured Chelsea for three hours last week and signed the wall.
KJRH-TV in Tulsa shot this video that, fortunately, concentrates more on the good things with this project than the bad thing that happened:
The tunnel was built during a time when U.S. 66 was so busy, it was needed so pedestrians could cross the highway safely. The tunnel still was usable, but long was neglected until recently.
(Image of part of the Route 66 Pedestrian Underpass Mural courtesy of Project Chelsea)
A similar pedestrian tunnel on Figueroa Street in the Cypress Park area of Los Angeles was leased to a nearby business owner to turn into an art gallery. Others in the Los Angeles area are still in use. It amazes me how such a simple thing can be so useful of a tool in economic development and how it can have such different results (and interest!) in such diverse locations as Chelsea, OK and Cypress Park, CA.