Mural to honor painter who died after Walldogs event
By Michael S. Hoey
Correspondent
Delavan-Darien High School teacher Mike Fellin showed off a bench made by some of his students that is a prototype for several benches that the students will build and place in the downtown area in the coming months.
Fellin said students from engineering and advanced metals classes designed and built the model. He said the idea came from the Walldogs art event that came to Delavan in June. Several of the Walldog artists painted Adirondak chairs that were sold to raise money for the event. He said the idea came up to make something for the downtown area that students could be remembered for. The benches will fit around trees and lampposts and could be an ongoing project for future classes.
New mural coming
Another Walldog mural will be painted and brought to the city this summer. The council approved a public art application submitted by the Delavan Historic Foundation to add a mural of Walldog artist FranCisco Vargas to the city’s collection of Walldog art. Vargas, who was the co-project leader for the Rodriguez Brothers Potato Farm mural near the intersection of Second Street and Park Place on the wall of the Hair Techniques building, was diagnosed with cancer in August and died in September.
The Walldogs will paint a mural in his honor at their annual event, which will be held in Marshall, Ill., in June. The Walldogs want Delavan to be the permanent home for the mural because it is home to his last mural. The final location for the mural has not yet been determined.
Pizza Hut car lot
The council approved a conditional use permit that will allow Kunes Country Auto Group to convert the former Pizza Hut property at 1261 E. Geneva St. into a used car sales facility. The building itself will be remodeled into offices and the parking lot will provide space for vehicle sales.
A concrete pad will replace the existing patio in front of the building to provide a single special vehicle display location. A new retaining wall will be built between the property and the Kunes Chevrolet dealership located next door.
Parking ordinance
The council approved an amendment to the ordinance for parking on North Second Street and in the public lot behind the Baymont Hotel.
Alderman Jeff Johnson said the hotel needs to have a certain number of overnight parking spaces available to it because it was affiliated with a national chain that requires it. Much of the parking in the lot and on the street had been restricted, especially in the winter. Now parking is allowed there 24 hours a day.
“We did not want to inconvenience the full-time residents,” Johnson said.
Mayoral appointments
The council approved Mayor Mel Nieuwenuis’ appointments of Isaac Hillson to the Delbrook Golf Commission, Jesus Valadez to the Park and Recreation Commission, and Korey Kuehni to the Plan Commission. Nieuwenhuis said he is still looking for someone to serve on the Library Board.
