Soap Lake has its giant lava lamp ... now it has to put it together

SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER NEWS SERVICES

A 50-foot-tall lamp that one day is expected to be a tourist attraction arrived in Central Washington's Soap Lake this week -- in pieces on four flatbed trailers.

Assembling them will be "much more complicated" than Brent Blake, the project's coordinator, thought it would be.

"It's just unbelievable -- endless pieces of structural steel and fiberglass. We need a genius engineer to put this all together again," said Blake, whose art gallery has this view of town -- and a normal-sized lamp.

The oversize version, billed as the world's largest functional lava lamp, was used as an advertising gimmick in Times Square by Target Corp. The company gave it to Soap Lake, which hoped to use it to attract tourists.

The town is known for its mineral water.

For more information, click here: http://www.giantlavalamp.com/

A hundred old ladies could live in this shoe.
>
Dee Depass, Star Tribune


Built with 80 cowhides, 1,200 feet of rope and 300 pounds of adhesives, this supersize "638-D" beauty is the latest addition to Minnesota's oversize landmarks.

Scraping the factory rafters, the creation of Red Wing Shoes was crowned the world's largest shoe by the Guinness Book of Records at a special measuring session Saturday at a Las Vegas trade show.

Using ladders, cranes and special rigging equipment, 60 employees and retirees built the boot in Red Wing over 13 months and finished it in time to mark the company's 100th anniversary Feb. 15.

Employees came up with the idea to mark the centennial with the world's largest boot and called Guinness to find out just what they had to beat -- a pair of Filipino shoes measuring 18 feet long, 7 feet wide and 6 feet tall.

Red Wing's boot squashed the record. Everything about it (classic workboot No. 877 in the Red Wing catalog) is authentic, meaning that if a man standing 12 stories tall happens to wander by, Red Wing will have the boot for him, ready to be laced up for his 60-foot strides.

The boot required a 104-foot-long shoelace and 80 pounds of metal eyelets. Sixty gallons of urethane went into the job, as well as a special mold to make the 20-foot-long, 20-inch-thick sole.

The boot cost roughly $100,000 in volunteer time and materials.

Once it has had its star turn in Vegas, the boot will make its home inside the original Red Wing Shoes plant in which it was built. The plant, soon to be converted into apartments and condos, also will house a shoe museum.

Of course, if Paul Bunyan does decide to stride down from Brainerd in search of new boots, the workers at Red Wing will have to get busy making Bootzilla's mate.

Giant golden potato found
Mary Jane Smetanka, Star Tribune
"Spud U" has its golden potato back.

Just in time for Christmas, the giant spud that was stolen from the top of a bell tower at North Hennepin Community College in October has been returned. Earlier this week, a man walking his dog spotted the potato hidden under a pine tree in a park a couple of miles from the school.

Faculty and staff members at North Hennepin, which was dubbed "Spud U" by neighbors years ago after it was built on former potato fields, cheered the discovery when it was announced at a meeting on Thursday morning.

"We are ecstatic," said Dawn Reimer, the school's chief financial officer. "It's like getting a present, just wonderful news."

Artist Andrea Myklebust, who designed the towering carillon with her husband, Stanton Sears, didn't know the potato had been found and could only respond with several "wows"at the news.

"That's just like the best Christmas present I could ask for," she said. "I'm overjoyed. It's fabulous. I'm so happy."

The golden potato, which is 18 inches to 2 feet long, was reported missing on Oct. 14 after vandals apparently scaled the 63-foot-high bell tower with climbing ropes and unbolted a 6- to 8-foot tall bronze finial that held the skewered spud. The finial weighs about 200 pounds and apparently was dropped, breaking its point.

Police assumed pranksters had climbed the tower and had hidden the tuber in a garage or bedroom. Brooklyn Park Police Capt. Gregory Roehl said Thursday that unless someone brags about the theft, there's probably no way to trace it back to anyone.

Reimer looked at the recovered potato Friday and said the most significant damage is to the finial's point. But the thieves may have thought the potato, which is bronze and covered in gold leaf, was more valuable than it is. Part of the spud had been sanded as if someone was trying to gauge the alloy of the metal, she said.

The college's foundation will give the man who found the tuber $500 as a thank-you.

The top of the carillon will be repaired and remounted as soon as possible. Myklebust said that this time, the finial will be bolted and welded to the carillon.

"If someone's going to try this again, it's going to be a lot more difficult," she said.

The bell tower has marked the college's main public entrance since 1997, after the Tessman family donated money for a sculpture to commemorate the neighborhood's agrarian past. The carillon, which has 25 bells and marks the time, features a rooster, sheep heads and the names of potato varieties that were once grown in the area.

Myklebust said the crowning potato was intended as a wry twist on the usual gold ball that tops flag poles.

'Hermann the German' stands guard over New Ulm once again
The Associated Press
November 9, 2004

NEW ULM, Minn. - The ravages of time and man could not defeat Hermann the German.

The statue of a Germanic warrior who led his people to a decisive victory over the Romans in 9 A.D. is once again standing defiant with his sword held high over this southern Minnesota city founded by German immigrants 150 years ago.

Crews slowly hoisted the two-ton, 32-foot copper figure back onto its 70-foot base Tuesday, completing a restoration that took more than a year and cost nearly $1.2 million.

A crowd of about 200 people applauded as the tall crane lowered Hermann onto his pedestal and crews started welding him in place.

"He made it!" said Mayor Joel Albrecht.

"Hermann is obviously such an important symbol of our city," said Albrecht, who wore a black derby as he passed out Hermann postcards to the crowd. "People from all over the state and nation equate Hermann to New Ulm and the two are virtually synonymous."

The restoration effort revealed just how fragile the statue had become, and Albrecht said he was relieved it didn't collapse before it was fixed. Albrecht credited restorers with a masterful job.

"What a great day it is for us, that on the 15th anniversary of the Berlin Wall coming down, Hermann the freedom fighter, the person that united the Germanic tribes and defeated the Roman legions, is now back in his place," Albrecht said.

Among those watching were about nine women wearing red hats and badges and name tags the proclaimed themselves "Hermann's frauleins." They watched with laughter and delight as Hermann ascended.

"It's a pretty awesome sight," said Carol Steinhouse.

Also watching from the park surrounding Hermann's pedestal was lifelong resident Germain Hacker, who said she can trace her German heritage more than a dozen generations.

"I can remember coming up here as a little girl for family picnics," she said. "It's always been a part of me."

Time had not been kind to what's officially called The Hermann Monument.

But restorers repaired and patched the bullet holes, beefed up its inner skeleton, replaced several worn-out and rusted-out parts such as the right foot, and reattached a wing that blew off Hermann's helmet in a storm six years ago. They also rebuilt the Roman helmet and shield on which Hermann rests his left foot in triumph, as well as the stone base.

The statue depicts Hermann the Cheruscan, also known as Arminius, who led Teutonic tribes in the battle of the Teutoburg Forest. They wiped out three Roman legions and stopped the eastward expansion of the Roman empire at the Rhine River in a key turning point of European history.

Hermann eventually became a symbol of unity and independence, both in Germany and among the German immigrants who settled here.

The statue is modeled after a larger monument in Detmold, Germany, where the battle is popularly believed to have taken place, though there's some dispute among historians about where it actually happened. Detmold dedicated its monument in 1875; New Ulm followed suit in 1897.

The inscription on a new copper heart inside the statue here reads: "Hermann, 9 A.D., A Freedom Fighter, Born Again in New Ulm, Minnesota USA, 2004."

North Hennepin Community College is offering a $1,000 reward for the safe
return of ... a potato.
A golden potato to be specific. No spudding around.
Apparently, someone climbed up the college's 60-foot carillon late Wednesday or early Thursday and stole the golden potato from a bronze finial.
The staff at the Brooklyn Park college noticed climbing cables dangling from the bell tower Thursday morning. The carillon's base was damaged, probably from being hit by the golden potato as it was lowered to the ground, said Carmen Shoquist, a school spokeswoman.
The golden potato isn't made from gold, but "we're treating it as a very serious matter," she said. "This was a very nice gift from a supporter, and we want it back to reassemble it and make sure this doesn't happen again."
Someone apparently scaled the 60-foot carillon at North Hennepin Community College and stole the golden potato.
The carillon, a steel sculpture, is a bell tower that stands near the mainentrance of the 12,000-student community college. It was a gift to the school from the Tessman family, one of Brooklyn Park's potato-growing pioneers.
The $1,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the potato's return and the arrest and conviction of the thieves.
Anyone with information can call the Brooklyn Park Police at 763-525-6220.

I found a site that list the "Top 10 Quirkiest" restaurants in the US. What's fun is that they all feature some sort of "BIG" thing. Check it out!

It's BIG! No, the show is called BIG! A new television show by the Discovery Channel. Apparently they will be creating BIG! stuff on the show. It premieres on June 1, so don't miss it! Click here for more information and video previews. The first show is a giant blender...then they're doing a popcorn popper. As if that's not enough, they're doing a giant guitar too. What's fun is that they're making WORKING BIG stuff. Not just look-a-likes. Fun, eh?!

From the May 4th edition of The Repository in Canton, OH: "Motorists and pedestrians in Alliance, Ohio can now see a 30-foot-long replica of a hot dog on top of Waaa Daa Hot Dog Shoppe at 1975 W. State St. The roof-top advertising gimmick acquired notoriety during recent weeks as city administration officials lost a court battle to prevent restaurateur Walton “Wally” Armour from placing the hot dog on the building. "
Apparently there was a huge court battle over this big weiner. The city was worried that it would become known as the city with the big weiner. Maybe they were really worried that the BIG Girl, BIG Stuff Tours might overtake their little town?!

Is there anyone out in Ohio to get a photo of this big haute dog?

I just finished up with a radio interview with Yvonne Monet and Benji Shepherd out of Central Georgia at 720 The Voice. If you were out there listening and you wish to participate in the site, please see the submission guidelines here. Thanks, Yvonne & Benji! I had a great time talking with you. And, if you are a BIG girl in Georgia, send in those photos!

In other BGBS news, at 95.7 The Rock's Morning Sickness radio show, they're planning a BGBS tour of Wisconsin. They have several sites picked out including: World's largest six pack, Hiawatha the giant Indian, the big sun fish in Onalaska, and the giant bicycle in Sparta. I'm not sure what day they're planning their tour, but if you're in the La Crosse area, check out the link above and contact these guys!

Another radio station mentioned this site today, this one from Baltimore, MD: Live 105.7's "Out to Lunch" show. Strange to be mentioned on two shows in the same day. The site must be showing up on some site or list somewhere. Anyone know? Post it in the comments below. Thanks!

Rumor has it that this little site was mentioned on the radio in Austin, Texas! Wooohooo! Thanks JB & Sandy at Mix 94.7.

Remember the BIG Easel project in Winnipeg? Click here for a BGBS refresher. Anyway, I've heard that they're going to be doing more of these in select cities, but it's no longer just going to be Van Gogh...this time, they will showcase a new local artist each year. Click here for more information. Pretty cool, eh?

Healing Hermann's scars will take time
Robert Franklin, Star Tribune

March 15, 2004
He has a bad ankle and may need skin treatment, but he is in pretty good shape for his age..

However, it's going to take longer to restore his health than was originally thought, in part, because of the 60-plus bullet holes and the popped rivets. And he won't be on hand for this summer's 150th anniversary celebration for the city of New Ulm, Minn., as originally planned.

Hermann, the 32-foot statue of the German warrior, was lowered from his 70-foot pedestal in New Ulm more than a year ago after 106 years of standing guard over the south-central Minnesota city of 14,000 people. When he was taken down in February 2003, people came and watched for hours as the bronze statue was carefully lowered to the ground in a sling.

City officials are still accepting proposals about how to make Hermann healthy again and should make a decision this spring. Options include replacing his steel framework and restoring his skin to its original copper color.

Hermann comes downBrian PetersonStar TribuneIt has not been decided whether Hermann will be shipped away for repair in pieces or be fixed locally, said City Manager Brian Gramentz.

The city already has raised $300,000 in revenue and donations toward the estimated repair price of $600,000 to $1 million, which "isn't necessarily the issue here, but it'll be part of the discussion," Gramentz said. Two years ago, the city spent about $770,000 to fix up Hermann's base.

The statue was donated by the Sons of Hermann, a national German-American fraternal group, and is modeled after a similar statue near Detmold, Germany. Hermann is important to New Ulm because he is a symbol of German-American heritage and the nation's largest copper-clad statue next to the Statue of Liberty, Gramentz said.

Besides, Gramentz added, if Hermann hadn't defeated the Romans in 9 A.D., "we'd probably all be speaking Italian right now."

Man seeks record for world's largest ball of paint
Associated Press
March 14, 2004
ALEXANDRIA, Ind. -- A man who's spent years applying layers of paint to a baseball that's grown to enormous proportions is hoping to have it declared the world's largest ball of paint.

For the past 27 years, Mike Carmichael has been painting a baseball that hangs in a shed behind his home. It now weighs 1,300 pounds, is more than 35 inches in diameter and has a 111-inch circumference due to more than 18,000 layers of paint.

On Saturday, Carmichael watched as a crew took a core sample from the green ball that's needed before it can earn a spot in the Guinness Book of Records.

In honor of Carmichael's work, Saturday was declared Ball of Paint Day in Alexandria, about 25 miles northeast of Indianapolis. It starting with a proclamation honoring Carmichael on the steps of City Hall, followed by a photo exhibit and ending with the core sample taken at Carmichael's home.

``I am not going to start any more baseballs,'' Carmichael declared.