Painting Party

Periodically, I would hear Dad and my Uncle Ron Benedict laughing about how the cement bears that graced the new Klamath Bridge were painted gold and how the state would soon have to strip them of their unnatural color. I always had a suspicion that those two men were the one’s who were doing the deed so to speak.

However, I was trolling the Internet and found an article, written by an unnamed author that has cleared up much of what I believed of Uncle Ron and Dad. The tale told, lets them off the hook in this case.

It reads in part:  “…one evening in old Klamath, the town was starting to look awful tired.  A group of local businessmen (Herb Fehley, John Menary, Ray Thompson, Pat Murphy, Ward Berg, Johnny Rycraft and Bud Harper to name a few) were having a cocktail at one of the local pubs discussing things, when someone announced it was time for Klamath’s main street to have a face lift. 

So with brooms, mops, trash containers and general cleaning apparatus the group set out that night to rejuvenate the downtown area. The streets were swept, the litter removed, the windows washed and all the dust and cob webs were swept away.

One voice in the group muttered there needs to be one final touch. 

One voice said, “I’ve got some gold paint in the shed at home.” 

And another said, “I’ve got some brushes. Let’s paint those Bears Gold.” 

And so they did.”

It’s hard to believe isn’t it?  After all what man in his right mind voluntarily picks up a broom and starts sweeping.