POWERGRAMS

31 Two murals in the heart of Enterprise have created a "live arts" experience that city leaders consider important to the arts and culture of the downtown district. The murals serve as an outdoor museum that shares the rich history of the city, attracting and educating visitors. The murals have enhanced the beauty of downtown, which has undergone a revitalization in recent years. The murals project was made possible in large part by a $50,000 grant by the Alabama Power Foundation, which funded the second mural as well as a third mural expected to be completed by year-end. The first mural, at the corner of West College Avenue and North Main Street on the side of the H&R Block building, features a boll weevil, cotton and peanuts. It portrays the story of the pest that destroyed the local cotton crop in 1915, forcing farmers to plant peanuts and other crops to diversify their farms and save the region from financial devastation. This led to agricultural prosperity that cotton alone couldn't provide and, two years later, Coffee County was hailed as the leading producer of peanuts in the U.S. The second mural, across from First United Methodist Church on Main Street, represents the relationship between Enterprise and the U.S. Army's Fort Rucker, which officially opened May 1, 1942. Fort Rucker is the home of the U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence and Aviation Museum, and has played a vital role in the city's economy. "A lot of military people came to Fort Rucker, and when they retired, they stayed," said Enterprise Mayor William Cooper. "They fit into the community and made themselves a part of us." The choice to honor Fort Rucker with a mural reflects the patriotic GRANT TO ENTERPRISE HELPS SHARE CITY'S RICH HISTORY THROUGH MURALS COMMUNITY Hardin has painted murals for 29 years.

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