Following talks of removal, Charlemont Indigenous statue headed to Oklahoma
The fiberglass Native American statue lies on a trailer in the parking lot of Native and Himalayan Views on the Mohawk Trail in Charlemont on Friday, waiting to travel west to Oklahoma. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/BOB POLLAK
From the Greenfield Recorder: CHARLEMONT, MA — Since 1974, the giant fiberglass Native American statue outside the Native and Himalayan Views souvenir shop has watched over Route 2.
Now, more than four decades later, the controversial statue is on the move following months of discussions between the store’s owner, the local Native American community and the Charlemont Historical Commission — though the board eventually decided to stay out of the conversation. The statue, which local tribal representatives say perpetuates racial stereotypes, is heading to Vinita, Oklahoma after being purchased by Alan and Beth Hilburn, who operate the Hi-Way Cafe and Western Motel on U.S. Route 66.
KB Home pays $24M for historic Starlite Drive-In in South El Monte
KB Home’s Jeffrey Mezger and the Starlite Drive-In sign and upcoming development at 2560 Rosemead Boulevard, South El Monte (Google Maps, Mezger via UnMktg, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)
From The Real Deal: KB Home has paid $24 million for the site of a former drive-in theater in South El Monte, CA, long after it won approval to build more than 200 homes.
The Westwood-based developer has closed on its purchase of the 13.5-acre Starlite Drive-In at 2560 Rosemead Boulevard, Urbanize Los Angeles reported. The seller was Starlite Swap Meet Group, based in Taiwan.
Tommy Turtle, one of Manitoba’s earliest roadside attractions, races toward 50
Wayne Pringle stands in front of Tommy the Turtle. The pair go back almost 50 years. (Darren Bernhardt/CBC)
From the CBC: Wayne Pringle knew it sounded like a crazy idea — buy a nine-metre tall, nearly five-tonne fibreglass and resin turtle that stands on its hind legs, waving flags like some kind of teenage mutant parade marshal.
But nearly 50 years later, Boissevain’s Tommy Turtle is an iconic Manitoba roadside attraction. And Pringle may be the last surviving member of the group that brought the towering turtle to town.
Iconic neon sign refurbished but no longer standing in Ukiah
Mr. Frostie closed years ago, and the building was eventually torn down but the neon sign remained. (Contributed)
From The Ukiah Daily Journal: To the surprise of locals, an iconic neon Mr. Frostie sign that hung for decades along South State Street in Ukiah is refurbished and now on display but no longer in the Ukiah Valley.
Since 1948 the Frosties sign, crafted in the shape of an enormous ice cream cone, stood 20 feet above an old hamburger stand in the 700 block of South State.
The refurbished sign will be formally dedicated at 11 a.m. Sunday at a new site on the Lake County fairgrounds in Lakeport. Donors Sandra and John Mayfield, a legendary Ukiah Valley business couple, will be honored for their generosity.
California roadside landmark in ‘Pee-wee’s Big Adventure’ draws thousands after Paul Reubens’ death
Thousands of Pee-wee Herman fans stopped by the roadside attraction to honor the late Paul Reubens. Courtesy of World’s Biggest Dinosaurs, Inc./Illustration by SFGATE
From SFGATE: At a famed roadside attraction just outside Palm Springs, flowers and teddy bears were strewn around the feet of a 65-foot-tall Tyrannosaurus rex.
Over the weekend, thousands of tourists made the trek to the kitschy Cabazon Dinosaurs to see the concrete sculpture known as Mr. Rex, who was freshly painted in an unmistakable gray suit jacket, white shoes and a cherry-red bow tie. On the prehistoric creature’s chest was a heart above the name of the comedy legend it was honoring: Pee-wee Herman.
The late actor Paul Reubens, who conceptualized the character in the 1970s while he was part of the Los Angeles improv troupe the Groundlings, died July 30 after a six-year battle with cancer. He was 70 years old.