If you happen to be a resident of Clintonville, let the Clintonville Area Commission know you support the proposed new mural honoring Ohio’s ancient American Indian cultures. The draft mural, painted by artist Danielle Poling, features Newark’s Octagon Earthworks and the Great Serpent Mound. According to Kevin Parks, writing in the Clintonville Booster, some Commission members are reluctant to approve the new mural, since “residents of the neighborhood had not been given sufficient opportunity to weigh in on the project.” According to Poling — “These murals, I’m hoping, will inspire the public to take an interest in the people who used to live here.” Commission member Nancy Kuhel indicated that she saw historical and cultural value in the mural: “I think we should be looking at this as an asset to the community.” The new mural would provide a wonderful complement to the existing mural, which focuses on the historic European American story.

Brad Lepper