Kid Friendly

“It’s very much an ‘if you build it they will come’ situation.”

Gerardine Wurzburg, Isle au Haut Community Development Corporation

Isle au Haut, Maine

The island town of Isle au Haut, Maine (population 74) struggles with a challenge common to lots of small towns: its population is dwindling. Not all the time—the picturesque New England island has no problem attracting visitors in the summer, but it has a heck of a time getting folks to stay put for the winter. Nowhere is that more apparent than at the island K-8 school, which has only three students. In four years when the youngest child moves on to high school, that will mean the end for the island school. And when an island loses its school, it isn’t long before it loses its year-round population, too. So town leaders are on a mission. They want to attract families with schoolchildren, and to do that they’re building two high-efficient, low-price rental houses. Anyone can apply to live in them, but town leaders are keeping their eye out for the perfect tenants: newcomers who can find work on the island or bring their jobs with them, who will participate in community life, and—most important—who have school-age children. How do the three kids on the island feel about getting additional school mates? They like the idea. As one boy points out, with only the three students now, they can’t get away with anything.

Read more → Heather Steeves, Island: Please come live here—and make sure to bring the kids, Bangor Daily News, December 17, 2011.

Driving UFO

“We just waved at the UFO driving by.”

Kevin McClung, Resident of Winfield, Kansas

Photo by Per Johansson

Kansas had some high-profile visitors this month. First there was Barack Obama—his first visit as president—followed by the Packers—their first loss of the season. But the strangest visitor was the UFO spotted in small towns like Augusta (population 8,743) and Winfield (population 11,148). Folks didn’t have to look skyward to see this UFO; it was zooming along their own highways, pulled by a semi truck. Startled onlookers snapped photos of the massive shape wrapped in a tarp. A little investigating uncovered that the UFO is an unmanned drone aircraft that will be used to spy on military targets, and it was being transported from California to Maryland. The craft has no tail and is circular in shape, and yes, it looks like a flying saucer.

Read more:

■  Jared Cerullo, Unusual aircraft sightings in Kansas Monday, KAKEland, December 12, 2011.

■  For a photo of the real “flying saucer” go to http://community.mae.pennnet.com/forum/topics/wind-river-congratulates-us

“No” Problem

“I don’t want to be known as the Pure Pleasure exit on the interstate.”

Elise Moloney, Resident of Pevely, Missouri

Photo by Greg Burkett

Some people just won’t take “no” for an answer. Take Don Kleinhans in Pevely, Missouri (population 3,768), for example. Mr. Kleinhans wanted to open a “sex toy store” on the outskirts of Pevely, near the freeway exit. The town said, “No.” Mr. Kleinhans opened the Pure Pleasure Boutique anyway. When the town demanded that he close the pornography store, he said, “No,” and sued the town. Mr. Kleinhans said it’s his constitutional right to open a store wherever he pleases. Besides, he argued, his store doesn’t sell pornography; it sells sex toys. The town continued demanding that Mr. Kleinhans close the store, and Mr. Kleinhans continued doing business as usual. After almost a year, Mr. Kleinhans’ lawsuit ended up in court, where a judge ruled that the town must hold a zoning hearing to consider Mr. Kleinhans’ request. Fine, said town leaders. A hearing was held, and the aldermen promptly and unanimously said, “No.” Doesn’t matter. Mr. Kleinhans is still in business. At the end of its rope, the town cut off water to the sex store, hoping business would dry up. Nope. Mr. Kleinhans installed a portable toilet, and he says customers are still streaming in. He’s filed a second lawsuit seeking the definition of “sex shop.” It looks like this saga could go on forever, “no” problem.

Read more → Michael Zennie, Small town refuses to turn on water to sex shop but customers keep flowing in, Daily Mail, December 22, 2011.

Good Books

“Every community has a little library.”

Connie Sparenberg, Librarian of Earl Park Library

Photo by Phil and Pam Gradwell

Read a good book lately? Marian Delp of Earl Park, Indiana (population 437) has. In fact, Ms. Delp reads lots of good books. It’s what she does with them when she’s finished that makes this a story worth retelling. She doesn’t leave them lying around or sitting on a shelf. No, she donates her books to the Earl Park Library. And because Ms. Delp reads lots of books that means lots of donations. Earl Park Library has 25,000 books—30 percent of those are from Ms. Delp, as are 100 percent of its audio books and 95 percent of its DVDs. The library is grateful and eager to pay the favor forward. It borrowed a page from Ms. Delp’s playbook recently when it sent a box of books to a nearby prison in response to its pleas for a few good books.

Read more → Woman keeps library alive with book donations, WDAM TV, December 20, 2011.

Gifts of Care

“It was a big surprise.”

Stacey White, Police chief of Kiefer, Oklahoma

Photo by Michael Hicks

It was just a suggestion. Stacey White, police chief of Kiefer, Oklahoma (population 1,632), gave a shout-out on his Facebook page saying, wouldn’t it be nice to get some things together to send to the Oklahoma guard’s 45th infantry serving in Afghanistan. That’s all it took. Within days the Kiefer Police Department was overflowing with donations from residents and local businesses. And schoolchildren went to work making cards for the soldiers. It’s personal for these folks. Mr. White is a veteran, one of his reserve officers is serving with the 45th, and two former reserve officers were killed in Afghanistan earlier this year. The townspeople were looking for a way to show their appreciation and respect for the soldiers. In the end, after the donations were sorted, the cards created, and the boxes packed, all 600 members of the 45th received gifts of care from their neighbors back home in Kiefer.

Read more → Lori Fullbright, Oklahoma town comes together to send 600 Christmas boxes to troops, News On 6, December 9, 2011. [includes video]

Hawkus Caucus

“I trust he will be impartial because he has no ties to any one candidate.”

John Sutter, National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium

Photo by B. A. Myers

News Flash: The Republican party presidential candidate has been picked in Iowa. No need to wait two weeks for the official Iowa state caucuses, the Hawkus caucus took place in Dubuque, Iowa (population 57,222) this week, and the winner is . . . Michele Bachmann.

What’s a Hawkus caucus? Hawkus is a red-tailed hawk who lives at the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium in Dubuque. The folks at the museum thought it’d be fun to let the “red” hawk pick the Republican candidate for president. So, they presented Hawkus with photos of the top candidates, placed a tasty morsel—a dead mouse in this case—on each photo, and declared Ms. Bachmann the winner when Hawkus hopped down and scooped up her dead mouse. There’s a special reason Hawkus was chosen for this event. Not only is he a red-tailed hawk, but Hawkus was injured while living in the wild and has only one wing—the right wing.

Note: Dubuque is not a small town with its 57,222 residents (most of the towns in my stories have 10,000 or fewer residents), but it’s my hometown so I made an exception. Plus, it's a fun political story, and isn’t that nice for a change?

Read more:

■  River museum plans on Iowa ‘Hawkus’ day, Telegraph Herald, December 19, 2011.

■  Erik Hogstrom, Not-so-raucus ‘Hawkus’ caucus, Telegraph Herald, December 21, 2011.

[Telegraph Herald requires a paid subscription to access its articles online, so I’m not able to provide weblinks to the stories.]

Mayberry 101

“Now here at the Rock we have two rules. . . . Rule number one: obey all rules.”

Mayberry Deputy Barney Fife

For many, Mayberry was the quintessential small town. With its doily-decorated jailhouse, gun-totin’ Deputy Barney Fife, and guitar-strumming Sheriff Andy Taylor, Mayberry gave us a snapshot of idyllic small town life. Granted, the town was make-believe, but 50 years later some people still can’t get enough. That’s true of Neal Brower. He wrote the book Mayberry 101, teaches a college-level course about The Andy Griffith Show, and conducts a lecture series on the 60s sitcom. The lectures are offered in Mount Airy, North Carolina (population 8,583), aka Mayberry. Mr. Brower’s lecture this month focused on episode 11, “The Christmas Story,” the only Christmas show The Andy Griffith Show ever did. Mayberry fans watched the episode and afterward were treated to behind-the scenes tales and trivia from Mr. Brower. Next up: “Big Fish in a Small Town.” Sounds like a fun class about a fondly remembered classic.

Read more → Mondee Tilley, Locals take in Mayberry ‘Christmas’ story, Mount Airy News, December 11, 2011.

Colour My World

A couple of “colourful” stories from our neighbors east of the Atlantic . . .

Photo by Manuel Flores

Got the Blues

When Sony Pictures filmed The Smurfs in Juzcar, Spain (population 221) earlier this year, it painted every house, shop, and headstone in the village blue. Sony promised to come back and return the village to its original whitewash as soon as filming and publicity were done, but residents are saying, not so fast. They like their blue homes, and so do the tourists. Before the village got the blues, about 300 tourists a year came to visit. This year, that number skyrocketed to 80,000. The additional visitors have been an economic boom and villagers don’t want it to end. They put it to a vote last week, and an overwhelming majority gave a thumbs up to keeping the color. They like the blue hue that’s giving them green back.

Photo by B. Dunnette

Going Green

Residents of Anderslov, Sweden (population 1,700) are going green, but not in a good way. It’s not that they’ve turned to an environmentally friendly way of life; it’s that their hair has turned green. In this nation of blondes, the green-headed residents are not pleased. Officials investigated and found that the water has copper in it—not when it first comes out of the tap but when it sits in a tank, like a water heater, and is used for showers. The problem is worse in new homes where pipes lack coating. Officials are taking a pedantic approach to the problem. They’re advising residents to wash their hair in cold water, or live in older homes.

Read more:

■  Alasdair Fortheringham, Spanish village happy to be left feeling blue by Smurfs, boingboing.com, December 19, 2011.

■  Gareth Finighan, Dodgy copper piping in water supply turns Swedes' hair GREEN, Daily Mail, December 18, 2011.

Fast Hands

“You know, not too many people are known for being fast when they’re 57.”

Mark Hanson, Juggler from Kanawha, Iowa

Photo by Marlon Bunday

When Mark Hanson of Kanawha, Iowa (population 638) set out to break a world record, he had his hands full. Literally. Mr. Hanson is a juggler, a really fast juggler. When he saw that the world record for the most number of balls thrown in one minute was 339, he knew he could beat it, hands down. Mr. Hanson has been juggling for years. He says to be really good, and fast, you have to be ambidextrous. He wasn’t. So he practiced, and practiced, and practiced, until he developed “freaky fast reflexes.” Last weekend at the Winter Fun Festival in Mason City, Iowa (population 29,172), Mr. Hanson put his fast hands to the test and, after a few practice tries, threw a world-record-smashing 417 balls in one minute. Job well done, Mr. Hanson. Give him a hand.

To see Mr. Hanson set the Guinness World Speed Juggling Record, watch the video below:

Fast Hands Hanson

Read more:

■  Andy Fales, Speed juggler: Small-town Iowa man is confident world record is his, WHO-TV, December 14, 2011. [includes video]

■  Deb Nicklay, Juggler claims new speed record, Globe Gazette, December 17, 2011.

Tater Donator

“Our product already makes people feel good.”

Joseph Swanson, Marketing director for Maine Distilleries

Photo by Peter Grima

It’s the time of year to give what you can to those less fortunate. For most of us that means money or clothing or toys. For Maine Distilleries in Freeport, Maine (population 7,879), maker of Cold River vodka and gin, that means potatoes.

Not being much of a vodka and gin drinker, I didn’t know they’re made from potatoes. The folks at Maine Distilleries use about a million pounds of potatoes a year. They get their spuds from Green Thumb Farms in Fryeburg, Maine (population 1,600), which produces about 20 million pounds of potatoes a year. So when the company wanted to help the hungry, they figured what better way than donating taters. For each bottle of vodka and gin sold in the first three months of 2012 in Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts, the company will donate a pound of potatoes to food banks in those states. It figures it’ll give away a few thousand pounds of potatoes. As the marketing director for Maine Distilleries quipped, their product already makes people feel good; this is just another way of doing that.

Read more → Christopher Cousins, Maine vodka company to donate thousands of pounds of potatoes to the hungry, Bangor Daily News, December 11, 2011.

Driver’s Ed Do-Over?

“It’s the most dangerous thing a teen can do.”

Pam Fischer, Driver’s ed instructor at West Morris High School

Photo by Illinois Vehicle

Back in high school, my most dreaded class was driver’s ed. It’s not that I feared driving, but the class was­, well, boring. The driving simulators sounded like fun—they were not. Driving with the instructor could be fun if you got the teacher who let you stop at A&W for a root beer—I did not.

So I’m glad I don’t live in Chester, New Jersey (population 1,657). Don’t get me wrong. The historic town sounds charming with its brick sidewalks and horse-drawn carriage rides. It’s just that West Morris High School in Chester requires parents to take driver’s ed with their kids. The class focuses on the dangers of teen driving and encourages parents to monitor their kids. A few dozen other schools in New Jersey have similar programs, and the state is considering making them mandatory. For the most part, parents like the idea. It makes them feel safer.

I do recall feeling stressed when my son learned to drive. Would it have made me feel safer if I had taken driver’s ed with him? Nah, I don’t think so. It probably would’ve made me feel drowsy and caused visions of simulators and root beers to dance in my head.

Read more → Heather Haddon, Driver’s ed, for parents, Wall Street Journal, December 5, 2011.

Store Bought

“Ooh, that’s nice.”

Pat Brown, Shopper at The Community Store in Saranac Lake

 Photo by Mwanner                                   Downtown Saranac Lake, New York      

It was a sad day in Saranac Lake, New York (population 4,769) when the Ames department store closed in 2002. It meant residents had to drive 50 miles to buy basic items like bed linens and bath rugs, outerwear and underwear. Desperate to fill the need, townspeople considered a proposal by Wal-Mart to put in a superstore, but the 120,000-square-foot mega-mart didn’t fit the personality of the small town. So instead, the townspeople bought a store of their own.

Residents raised money by selling shares at $100 a pop, and because they didn’t want one, controlling shareholder, they capped investments at $10,000 per person. It took longer this way, but eventually they raised $500,000. With the money, they bought an old restaurant and went to renovating it. Their hard work paid off. In late October, The Community Store in Saranac Lake opened its doors. It offers clothing, housewares, and craft supplies, but it doesn’t sell shoes. There’s already a shoe store in town and the idea behind The Community Store is to complement, not compete.

Some say the store can’t make it—the economy’s just too tough. Supporters concede the pessimists might be right, but they aren’t giving up any time soon. It took five years of fundraising and hundreds of volunteer hours to open The Community Store, and they’re not going to let it close overnight.

Read more → Amy Cortese, A town creates its own department store, New York Times, Nov. 11, 2011.

Can’t Win

“And then we won.”

Mike Trask, Fire chief from Alna, Maine

You’ve heard the expression “can’t win for losing,” right? It means that no matter what, you can’t get ahead. The volunteer fire department in Alna, Maine (population 681) knows the feeling, but it can do one better: can’t win for winning.

This fall, the Lincoln County Fire Chiefs Association was selling raffle tickets for a Disney World trip. Sales were slow so Mike Trask, fire chief from Alna, asked his fire department to buy $100 worth of tickets to help out. The problem is, it won. The bigger problem is, Mr. Trask is the head of the Fire Chiefs Association. Other contestants were not amused. They grumbled and Mr. Trask investigated. He discovered he could trade in the Disney World trip for cash. He did that, and on behalf of his fire department donated more than $3,000 each to the Make-a-Wish Foundation and Lincoln County Community Energy Fund. Mr. Trask said his fire department sure could have used the money itself, but it was the right thing to do. In the end, the fire department saved face, two charities received donations, and the Fire Chiefs Association sold a bunch of raffle tickets. A win–win–win situation.

Read more → Krister Rollins, Accidental raffle win winds up helping charities, WCSH 6 News, Dec. 7, 2011.

O Christmas Tree

“They will spend the festive season thinking of the consequences of their actions.”

Justin Watts, Inspector with the Kent Police

Photo by John Phelan

Thank God for dumb crooks. They make a cop’s job so much simpler. Case in point: the three guys who knocked off a Christmas tree lot in Pembury, Kent, England (population 6,005). To their credit, they did have the wherewithal to smash two cameras videotaping the lot. But sadly for them, and happily for the tree merchant, they missed the third camera that caught everything they were doing on tape. On top of that, a security guard spotted them climbing the fence and carting away trees. He called the bobbies, and quiet as church mice they moved in and captured the three guys. But where were the trees? That’s the best part. All the police had to do was follow the trail of pine needles, and it led them straight to the thieves’ van—loaded with 138 Christmas trees, 48 boxes of Christmas lights, and two wheelbarrows. The trees were returned to their lot and the crooks were hauled off to court. Case closed.

Read the article → Christmas tree thieves caught after leaving needle trail for police to follow

The Long Road Home

“I felt really pissed at myself.”

Clifton Vial, Nome Alaska

When Clifton Vial of Nome, Alaska (population 3,653) decided to take a drive and do a little exploring, he threw on a pair of tennis shoes and a jacket and hit the road. What he hit next was the problem. More than 40 miles out of town, Mr. Vial plowed into a snow drift, a big one. Unable to dig out and without cell phone reception, he hunkered down in the subzero weather. Kicking himself for not bringing emergency provisions, like warm clothes, food, and extra gas, Mr. Vial made do with what he had. He wrapped towels around his feet, climbed into a sleeping bag liner, and munched on snow and frozen beer. He turned on his truck from time to time to warm up, but it wasn’t long before the needle was on empty. He dozed off and thought of his daughter and the people at work.

The people at work were thinking of Mr. Vial, too. When he didn’t show up for his shift, they were alarmed. When he didn’t show up a second day, they went on full alert and called authorities. The Nome Volunteer Fire Department, state troopers, volunteer rescuers, and coworkers launched a search. The following day a coworker and another volunteer found Mr. Vial—three days after he set out on his explore. Sixteen pounds lighter but with no visible signs of frostbite, Mr. Vial planned a visit to the doctor and then back to work, grateful for the coworkers who came to his rescue.

Read the article → Stranded Nome man survives 3 days in cold

Farmyard Fugitive

“The only thing worse than chasing one cow is chasing two.”

Sue Baker, Animal control office from Plattsmouth, Nebraska

Photo by Stacey Wilhoit

There’s a fugitive on the loose in Plattsmouth, Nebraska (population 6,867), and citizens are keeping a watchful eye. It’s not that they’re worried about a convict breaking into their homes; it’s more that they’re worried about a cow stepping in front of their cars. You see, the fugitive is a 1,500-pound heifer, and she’s been running the streets, and backyards, of Plattsmouth for three months, ever since she fell off the back of a cattle truck. Townspeople spot her mostly at night, and the big black cow that appears out of nowhere gives them quite a fright. Animal control officer Sue Baker has been in pursuit of the hide-and-seek heifer without much luck, but she has a plan. Ms. Baker has borrowed a calf from a nearby cattle farm to use as bait to lure the runaway cow. But she’s uneasy leaving the calf out  by itself at night so she’s pulling all-night shifts cow watching. As Ms. Baker says, the only thing worse than chasing one cow is chasing two.

Read the article → Where’s the beef? Cow loose in Plattsmouth

UPDATE: December 8, 2011

The cow has been caught. Remember how Sue Baker, the animal control officer, tried to lure the cow by putting out a calf as bait? Okay, that didn’t work. The cow didn’t bite. Then, Ms. Baker discovered the cow had given birth to her own calf in the woods, so she used that calf as bait, and it worked . . . for a while. When Ms. Baker tried to corral the cow in a makeshift pen, the cow kicked down the fence panel and bolted. Finally, Ms. Baker solicited the help of three cowboys. They tracked the cow in the snow, roped her, and brought her in. As for Ms. Baker, she went home for a nice long sleep.

Read the article → Cow that fell off truck in September finally captured

Frosty Welcome

“It was never an intention to be scary.”

Jeffery Acker, aka Frosty the Snowman

Illustrator: Corinne Malvern

Tis the season to spread holiday cheer. That was Jeffery Acker’s plan when he donned a Frosty the Snowman mask, picked up his candy cane walking stick, and went for a stroll through Vanceboro, North Carolina (population 861). But what he ended up doing was striking fear in the hearts of his neighbors. A shopkeeper froze with terror when she saw him approach, thinking she was about to be robbed. Four people, alarmed at the sight of the strange snowman, called 911. But the  police didn't investigate—they said they were too busy with cases that were more pressing than a snowman sighting. So a local reporter dug into the story and learned it was Mr. Acker behind the mask and it was his intention to spread cheer, not fear. What Mr. Acker learned was—tis the season to be jolly, not the season to play dress-up and stroll the streets. He'll have to wait for next October 31st for that season.

Read the article → Man in ‘Frosty’ mask draws unwanted attention

Reinventing the Muff

“We’re reinventing the wheel again.”

Dennis Haszko, Resident of Farmington, Maine

Did you know ear muffs were invented in 1873 by a 15-year-old boy named Chester Greenwood from Farmington, Maine (population 4,138)? The folks in Farmington sure know it and are proud of it. They celebrate Chester Greenwood Day the first Saturday in December with a parade and festival. So they were understandably miffed when a firm in Baltimore, Maryland was given a patent this year for a new kind of “ear warmer.” Adding insult to injury, the patent request referred to Chester’s original Ear-Muffler patent. If they can reinvent the ear muff, why can’t we, huffed one resident of Farmington. And the challenge was on: residents were invited to participate in the Ear-Muffler Fashion Show and Design Contest. Judging is tomorrow, during Chester Greenwood Day, and winners will be named in three age groups. The design champs will receive prizes from local merchants and a chance to pitch their idea to a local patent office.

Read the article → Earmuff design contest on Chester Greenwood Day

Bright Lights

“It’s kind of an addiction.”

Bob Duda, Mayor of Marionville, Missouri

Photo from the Fans of the Duda’s Christmas Lights, Marionville, MO Facebook page

When Bob Duda, mayor of Marionville, Missouri (population 2,167), says he’ll leave the light on, he’s not kidding. But he doesn’t mean 1 light; he means 130,000 lights. Christmas lights, that is. Mr. Duda says the townspeople love his Christmas display and want more each year. And he delivers. Besides the lights, Mr. Duda programs over 300 channels of Christmas music. But it’s not all about the lights and music. Last year a local family lost their home to fire the day before Thanksgiving, and Mr. Duda accepted donations on their behalf. Inspired by the town’s spirit of giving, Mr. Duda decided to make the donations a new tradition. Money raised this year will go to two charities: filling backpacks with goodies for less fortunate children and Toys for Tots.

Read the article (and watch a video) → Mayor’s over-the-top Christmas display a gift to his town

Big Bang

“There was no booing . . .”

Roddy McCuish, Councilman from Oban, Scotland

Photo by Billy Hicks

On the evening of November 4th, townspeople from Oban, Scotland (population 8,120) gathered to watch a fireworks display in celebration of Guy Fawkes Day. Like thousands of people throughout the United Kingdom, they settled back and looked skyward, anticipating a 20-minute show of “rockets red glare” and “bombs bursting in air.” What they got were 50 seconds of the most intense fireworks since the Beijing Olympics. Because of a technical glitch, all £6,000 ($9,418 to you and me) worth of fireworks exploded at 20 times the normal speed. Although the fireworks were short-lived, the story of the small town’s big bang lives on. A video of the fireworks display hit the Internet and went viral—almost a million viewers so far. The fireworks company said there were no complaints after the abbreviated display, but they put on a second fireworks show for free—called “Obang”—during the town’s Winter Festival this last weekend. Hundreds of people showed up and were perhaps a little disappointed to see the display go off without a hitch.

To see the explosive Oban Fireworks video, watch the video below:

Oban Fireworks

History lesson: For those of us west of the Atlantic, Guy Fawkes Day is celebrated on November 5th to commemorate the failure of Guy Fawkes and other terrorists to blow up the British Houses of Parliament in 1605. On this day, people throughout the United Kingdom celebrate with bonfires and fireworks.

Read the article → Short but flashy fireworks show wins worldwide notice

Hop to It

“I just saw a kangaroo hop past my window.”

Call to Platte City, Missouri Police

Photo by Fayes4Art

Residents of Platte City, Missouri (population 4,947) glancing out their windows on Thanksgiving had to rub their eyes and look twice to figure out if what they were seeing was real, or a really elaborate hoax. A wallaby, which looks like a kangaroo and is more at home in the Australian Outback than in a Missouri backyard, was spotted hopping through their neighborhood. Police were called, and they cornered the wallaby on the grounds of a nearby nursing home. The mystery was solved when a local family came forward to claim their pet wallaby, named Noah. They were hoping to take Noah home, but he’s behind bars—at the Kansas City Zoo—while officials determine whether he’s an “exotic animal.” If he is, under Missouri law, Noah won’t be hopping home.

Read the article → Wayward wallaby startles Missouri residents

McSteamy

“From the looks of this crowd, you would think

we were paying homage to a rock star.”

Brian Adams, Tucson, Arizona

Photo by Chris Dabovich/News-Sun

A celebrity rolled through Arizona recently, stopping in towns small and large, and attracting throngs of fans wherever it went. The celebrity wasn’t a rock star or a movie mogul or a politician stumping for votes. It was a train. Locomotive No. 844, the last steam engine built for the Union Pacific Railroad in 1944, took a special journey through Arizona to help the state celebrate its 100th birthday.

Locomotive No. 844 was a big deal back in the day. It was a high-speed engine pulling top passenger trains like the Overland Limited and Portland Rose. But it got pushed off the tracks when diesel engines came along and was relegated to freight service in Nebraska from 1957 to 1959. The storied engine made a few appearances after that but was mothballed in 1989. In 2000, restoration began on the train, and it was returned to service in 2005 under the moniker “Living Legend.”

At a recent stop in Benson, Arizona (population 5,144), hundreds of people lined the tracks awaiting the train. Fans came from as far away as Tucson to spend a half hour with the Living Legend; several schools made it a class trip. Folks were awed by the size of the engine and surprised when the train blew its piercing whistle and sprayed steam on them. Too soon, the train was on its way to the next stop and the next throng of excited fans.

Small Trains, Big Deal

For a look at a different kind of train, check out the video below. It features the world’s largest model train layout. Called “Miniatur Wunderland,” the model railway is located in Hamburg, Germany and has attracted millions of visitors. When this video was made in 2009, the layout featured 6 miles of tracks; that number is expected to more than double to 13 when the layout is complete in 2014.

Miniatur Wunderland

Read the articles:

•  Old-time UPRR steam engine to stop in Benson

•  Blast from the past; Old-time steam engine stops in Benson

•  Toys for Boys–The world’s biggest train set