Tilt it just a bit more ...

Randy Hellweg, top, and Bill Viers get a hand from Jefferson County Supervisor Dick Reed this morning while hanging a restored portrait of early Fairfield lawyer Moses McCoid in the courthouse courtroom under the stained-glass windows on the west wall.

The 38- by 48-inch McCoid painting by H.G. ?Pat? Shriner, was restored by Robert Norman of Van Buren County at a cost of more than $4,000.

Norman is working on a total of five courthouse paintings with costs offset by private donations and a Greater Jefferson County Foundation grant.

A 60- by 40-inch restored portrait of prominent early businessman and Civil War veteran W.C. Ball was hung on the east wall of the courtroom earlier this morning. That portrait also was painted by Shriner, and the restoration cost for it was estimated at $3,550. Mark Shafer said the portrait had been badly flaking in the background.

Plans were to hang another piece of art on the west wall by the painting of McCoid.