A new building sign that shows off the area as"Historic Onion Bottom

Tag : onions
The area holding the old market site -- city property where ahomeless services center is planned -- has been known as"Onion Bottom," Mayor Ron Littlefield said.
"It was always somewhat of a poverty-stricken part oftown," he said. "It was called 'Onion Bottom' becausethere was a city dump down there and it was constantly burning and,according to (former) Mayor ( Gene) Roberts , it smelled like onions."
Mr. Littlefield said an area represented by a potent, often-smellyvegetable doesn't hurt the city's efforts to attract homelessservice providers there. Such "folk art" gives the cityproperty some more personality, he said.
"It sparks a little more interest than just having outdatedsigns there for things that are no longer located there," hesaid.
Mr. Asberry, who now lives in Brainerd, has been volunteering in asupervisory role with the handful of summer youth workers beingpaid to paint at the site. Mr. Littlefield said Mr. Asberryexpressed interest in painting, and he was given paint and freerein to decorate the old sign.
One side of the sign, easily visible to drivers and pedestriansheading down East 11th Street , features a Vidalia onion, while the flip side shows a yellowonion.
Mr. Asberry, who finished the onion murals last week, said he justwants to share a gift for painting.
"I'm out to beautify the entire city," said Mr. Asberry,53.
In addition to the paintings, Mr. Littlefield said the Coca-Cola Co. donated a new building sign that shows off the area as"Historic Onion Bottom."
Mr. Littlefield said the sign likely will change when new tenantscome to the site, which now houses no agencies or services and isused only to store city property. When some group comes to theproperty, he said, the onion art probably will go elsewhere.

(