The Journal & Courier is reporting that “The Dog Days of Summer” have ended for West Lafayette due to vandalism. Every-other year, I think it is, local artists in the Lafayette area organize what I think is a pretty cool project. They put up large fiberglass statues based on a designated animal. About four years ago, they did frogs. Two years ago, they did pigs. And this year it is dogs.
This adds a fantastic touch to the community. I know my kids go nuts for them. If we’re walking around downtown and there is a dog ahead, the kids light up. But, in West Lafayette:
On the first weekend after the 40 statues’ debuted, two of the life-size dog figures in West Lafayette were stolen; one was later recovered. Other statues that were in West Lafayette have cracks and chipped paint caused by vandals. And one college student was arrested attempting to steal one of the figures near the Purdue University campus, according to police.
So, instead of remaining outside for five months as intended, the 18 West Lafayette statues have been moved inside to the Art Museum of Greater Lafayette. The 22 Lafayette statues remain distributed around the community. When we were at the fountain on the West Lafayette side of the foot bridge, I made a point to show my kids the pedestal where a dog statue had been, and told him that it was stolen or broken by a bad guy. He was scandalized. When I told him later that the bad guy had been arrested, he figured a 70 year jail sentence was appropriate. Can’t say I necessarily disagree.
Can we make that 70 years in dog years?
Doug, I’ve said it before: you’re blessed with two very lovely children. I have to wonder how you’re ever gonna break the news to them about what you do for a living.
(Interesting tidbit about Dog Years, which are predicated, apparently, on the idea that humans live ~ 70 years, dogs around 10, so every year for a dog = 7 for a human. But the total number of heartbeats in a lifespan is remarkably consistent for all mammals, excepting hibernators, perhaps, as they’re difficult to count accurately; mice live a short time, but their hearts beat very rapidly, elephants live long and have a very slow heart rate. The one exception is…H. sapiens. We live twice as long as other mammals based on total heatbeats. So a Dog Year is really only 3.5 human years, and your felons could be out in 17, with good behavior.)
BTW, I still want one of the frogs.
Another outcome that demonstrates the non-cohesive quality of West Lafayette. For the most part, it is a disfunctional community afflicted by nitwitted students and insular faculty – both lacking long-term ties to the city.
Listed as one of the best small towns in the US, I disagree. It is in fact not really much of community at all with its hodgepodge of disparate self-centered interests.
Has there been any statement from the Mayor of West Lafayette on these acts of vandalism?
I don’t live in West Lafayette, so I can’t speak from experience, but my friends and colleagues who live on the west side seem to like the area quite well. Students present certain challenges at times, but overall my impression is that they and the University contribute far more than they take away.
Actually, I was thinking of multiplying the other way, for 490 years – or 245, per your revisionist theory…
Yeah, Parker, sorry. I meant to compliment you on the gag before I launched into that thing, but Revisionism is a demanding mistress.
Calling for dogged determination, no doubt.