Aldermen allow mural work to proceed: 'If we want to paint over it, we can paint over it'

It’s been said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Come Sept. 2 in Manchester, beauty will be in the collective eyes of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen.

Aldermen took an unplanned vote under the New Business portion of their Aug. 5 meeting to allow a youth outreach group to finish painting a mural at Sheehan-Basquil Park, after public works told the group to put down their brushes for failing to go through the proper approval process before starting the project.

Aldermen voted to allow the project to proceed, then review the final product ahead of their September meeting.

“On September 1, we can all take a look at it, so when we come on September 2, then we'll know whether we want to vote to cover it up or not,” said Alderman Tony Sapienza who represents Ward 5, where the park i