OTTAWA — Ottawa and Franklin County is a regional finalist in the Prettiest Painted Places competition. Ottawa and Franklin County is one of 10 finalists in the south central region of the U.S., said Amber Woods, Franklin County Convention and Tourism. One other Kansas community, Lindsborg, is also a south-central finalist. Other regional finalists are Downtown Historic Bastrop, Texas; Graham, Texas; Lafayette Square in St. Louis; Natchitoches National Historic Landmark District, Louisiana; Old Arabi Neighborhood, St. Bernard Parish, La.; Paseo Arts District, Oklahoma City; Spanish Town Neighborhood, Baton Rouge, La.; and Victoria, Texas. About 200 communities submitted entries in the national contest, Woods said. “For us to be among the regional finalists says a lot about Ottawa and Franklin County and the palette of beauty and colors that can be found here,” she said. The Paint Quality Institute’s Debbie Zimmer said judges are looking for special towns or neighborhoods with exceptional community-wide “curb appeal” due to optically pleasing or creative use of exterior paint color. Curb appeal also includes outdoor murals and creative use of paint color on statues, signs, traffic signals, water towers, and even streets and sidewalks, she said. The judges will pick two communities out of each regional, Wood said. She said Ottawa and Franklin County’s entry has a strong chance of making the cut, she said. The entry included photos of Ottawa downtown historic buildings as well as some of the best Victorian homes in the city and county, she said.
Wednesday, Oct. 3, 8 p.m.
