To the Editor:

As I bounce merrily along the potholes on the way into town, I often wonder if the money spent on pubic displays of artwork could have been better spent in these trying economic times.

I may be in the minority on this, but the artwork next to the new Waynesville police station has never captured my imagination. After the article by Caitlin Bowling in The Smoky Mountain News (Dec. 14 issue, www.smokymountainnews.com/news/item/5803) suggested the movement of the artwork by the town, my thoughts were not of the best location but why more money is being spent on projects of less priority to the city and its residents.

When it comes to matters of subjectivity like artwork, my mother says, “If you like it, chances are, most other people will.” The same idea works in reverse.  No offense to Mr. Trapp, but I feel that the bright, multi-colored whirlygig sharply contrasts with the Waynesville’s historic earth tones of wood and brick.

I have no problem with works of public art, as I see the oversized bluegrass players down on Miller Street to be perfectly suited for its location and the subject matter fits neatly with our local heritage.

If the city is concerned about its appearance to tourists, may I suggest that our hard-earned tax dollars go to more immediate repairs of the town’s infrastructure.  How can visitors appreciate the beauty of our county, along with the multiculturalism of Folkmoot, if they have to first endure the site of rundown buildings, cracked sidewalks, and damaged roadways? In my humble opinion, these types of investments are key to the future going forward into a decade of uncertain financial times. I hope and pray the commission will think long and hard while considering the wise use of taxpayer monies when they reconvene in January.

James Monday

Waynesville