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VANDALS HIT MURAL AT MOTEL
 VICTIMIZED: Bob Jellum shows graffiti marring the mural at the All-American Inn on Adams Avenue. A reward more than $1,000 is offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible (The Observer/BILL RAUTENSTRAUCH). - Bill Rautenstrauch The Observer Bob and Linnie Jellum, owners of the All-American Inn on west Adams Avenue, were puzzling Tuesday morning over the meaning of the word "banarchist." The word isn't in the dictionary. The best the Jellums can figure, a banarchist must be a breed related to a terrorist, the kind that uses lawless means to ban free expression among peace-loving citizens. This spring, Bob and his wife, Linnie, paid local artist Jon Hanley to paint a mural on a wall along the west side of the motel swimming pool. The background was a blue sky and fluffy white clouds. Over the background were painted the words, "Welcome to God's Country." Next to that was an image of an unfurling American flag. The Jellums figured it was a nice way to greet visitors getting off the freeway and coming downtown from the west. Besides, the mural helped dress up the motel, which was in a sad condition when the couple took it over in February 2005. The mural's message wasn't intended as an especially religious one. The Jellums picked it simply because a lot of people call Northeast Oregon "God's Country." Early Tuesday morning, probably between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m., someone took issue with the mural. A person or persons unknown blotted out the blue sky and fluffy clouds with white paint. And over that, he, she or they scrawled another message. "This display of ignorant superioty (sic) has been removed by your friendly neighborhood banarchists," the message read. "It was someone either with too much time on their hands or a statement to make," Bob Jellum said as he looked the damage over in Tuesday's broad daylight. Jellum said he was up late Monday, and knows the mural was untouched until well after midnight. "We have a guest who said it was all right about two o'clock," he said. The motel, on the corner of Adams Avenue and Walnut Street, is well lit. A light on a pole shines directly down on the mural. A passing policeman happened to notice the damage before the sun came up Tuesday. "He called and said, Meet me in the front office. I'm afraid I have some bad news,' " Jellum said. Later, a man who had been out jogging about 4 a.m. said he noticed the damage then. Lt. Derrick Reddington of the La Grande Police Department said this morning the incident is a little puzzling. "It appears to be isolated. We haven't had any other reports of that specific kind of graffiti. I don't know if it was someone passing through or someone local," he said. Jellum said the mural originally cost him $900. Tuesday, Hanley said he will re-paint it for free. "Jon told me he'll do it as many times as it takes. He said we've got to get the word out that you can't get away with painting graffiti on our walls," Jellum said. In hopes of bringing the vandals to justice, the Jellums have announced a reward for information leading to arrest and conviction. They started the fund with $500 of their own money. An anonymous donor added another $500 to the fund Tuesday morning. A guest staying at the motel got into the act as well, chipping in an additional $20. Like Reddington, Bob Jellum has no clue whether the person or persons who did the damage are from here or elsewhere. He said if they're not local, it will be all right with him. "I really hope they're not from around here. That would reflect very poorly on La Grande," he said. |
