The owners of Frontier Foods have invested a lot in improving the exterior of their store, including new siding and paint, a reworked overhang out front, new river rock accents and a new sign (seen reflected in the window). A new roof is also being instal

Changes and improvements taking place in downtown Oroville

A friend said with all the bickering about the Oroville School Board, maybe it would be a good idea to write about some of the “good things” going on in Oroville. He’s right, although we endeavor to cover all the positives, sometimes they go unnoticed yet it might be hard to miss the improvements taking place, especially in the downtown area (we’ve captured a few in photos on B3 this week).

Perhaps the biggest change is to the look of Frontier Foods, with new siding and paint as well as river rock accents on the front of the store. The rock is continued around the base of the poles that hold up the cover over the sidewalk. If Oroville has a theme that ties many of the buildings together, it seems to be river rock and it is a good look.

Frontier has a bright new sign on the side of the building that looks to be visible from about three blocks and the grocery is also getting a new roof. Rancho Grande in the old Peerless building looks good inside and out. The paint color on the exterior really makes the building stand out and we’ll have a new business story about them when their ready to open. A few of the Oroville Chamber Board members got a quick tour of the inside several weeks ago and the murals, tile and other interior work is really pleasing.

The Camaray Motel continues to make strides in its appearance and is now at the top of our list when we recommend a place to stay in Oroville.

The friend also mentioned a couple non-businesses that have had some improvements of late. These include the Mini-Park in front of Expressions Espresso. The Oroville Streetscape Committee has taken the park on as their own and combined with the hanging baskets, flower pots and everything else the committee does it always gives the town a welcoming look.

We might also mention that there have been some changes at VIP Insurance and at Mark Hancock Accounting. Mike Bourn has moved his insurance crew out of the VIP Professional Building and across the street to Mark Hancock’s office in the old Oroville Realty building. The new digs offer more space for the business. Hancock has moved back into his old office, just to the west, where he had been living. Word is he and wife Gloria still have an apartment in back. Now we have an empty space at the VIP building for rent and hopefully it will be filled soon.

Last, but not least, my unnamed friend suggested we mention the yellow house at 1660 Main next to the Chen’s Dental Clinic. We don’t usually talk about what people have been doing to their private homes, but this unique house has been somewhat neglected over the past dozen or so years. One year it even fell victim to a wind storm that toppled a tree onto the porch. Well, all the trees that seemed to be crowding the fine old home out have been trimmed and other improvements continue to be made and it’s worth keeping an eye on.