Garden seeks person who cleaned beloved statue

Members of the Coupeville Garden Club are putting on their sleuthing hats to solve a mystery surrounding a popular statue. Club members want to know the name of the good Samaritan who recently cleaned a bronze statue standing in Cook’s Corner Park near downtown Coupeville.

Members of the Coupeville Garden Club are putting on their sleuthing hats to solve a mystery surrounding a popular statue.

Club members want to know the name of the good Samaritan who recently cleaned a bronze statue standing in Cook’s Corner Park near downtown Coupeville.

“We would like to know who and thank the person,” said Coupeville Garden Club member Mary Dent.

The statue in question is Randy, a bronze sculpture of a young boy pouring a bucket of water over his head.

The Coupeville Garden Club donated Randy to the town of Coupeville in 2000 and has been a popular feature at Cook’s Corner Park ever since.

A water pump is hooked up to Randy which allows water to trickle from the bucket over his head.

That trickle tends to leave water marks on Randy.

She said it appears whoever cleaned the statue knew what they were doing.

Removing the lime scale requires the light use of a propane torch and then application of carnuba wax, said Larry Smith, public works superintendent for the Town of Coupeville.

He said he contacted the sculptor about the best way to maintain the bronze statue. He said he was appreciative of the anonymous statue cleaner.

“Kudos and thanks to whoever helped us out,” Smith said.

Randy is one of two statues standing in the small corner park which is home to the annual tree lighting which takes place each December during the Greening of Coupeville.

Randy’s partner Sally was placed at the park in 2001 and named in honor of Sally Hart, who joined the Coupeville Garden Club in 1990 and headed the sculpture committee before passing away in 2001.

Kind-hearted fans of the popular statue have paid special attention to the duo.

Randy has been dressed in a cap and stocking when the temperature drops.

Dent said she tied the yellow ribbons currently on Sandy’s pony tails.  Sandy is seated facing Randy, but she doesn’t get the same water marks as the water-logged boy.

The sculpture was cast by Jim Demetro, who works from his studio in Battle Ground, Wash.

If anyone has any information about who cleaned Randy, call Dent at 360-678-7069.

 

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