Snowzilla (snowman)

Last updated

Snowzilla is a giant snowman which has been erected each pre-Christmas season since 2005 in the front yard of private resident Billy Powers' home in Anchorage, Alaska. Keeping good on a promise to return again some day, Snowzilla reappeared in snowy and cold December 2023.

Contents

History

The first Snowzilla was built in 2005. It rose to 16 feet (4.9 m), and featured a corncob pipe, a carrot nose, and two eyes made out of beer bottles. [1] After drawing widespread attention, [2] the snowman returned the following year, built to a height of 22 feet (6.7 m). [3] [4] In 2008 the accumulated snow rose to an estimated 25 feet (7.6 m) height. [5] [6]

Controversy

One neighbor in the block complained of heavy traffic and cited safety concerns about a very large snowman on the front lawn of a residential neighborhood, as a result of which city officials issued a cease and desist order in December 2008, preventing Snowzilla from being completed (it was about 50% completed when the order was issued and the accumulated snow removed). However, a few days later it re-appeared on Powers' lawn, although he denied making it. [7] [8] [9]

A strong public outcry soon arose over the apparent municipal interference with the holiday tradition, and a website (formerly "Snowzilla.org") appeared on 23 December 2008. [6] On Christmas morning, a group of small sign-carrying snowmen appeared in front of Anchorage city hall, but the city quickly demolished them. [10] [11] In 2009, a new mayor was sitting in City Hall, and the family said that it expected to be able to erect the giant snowman without interference. [12] [13] Writing about the January 2011 version, an editor for Alaska magazine described Snowzilla as "a symbol of Alaska civil disobedience enacted, appropriately enough, in snow". [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skwentna, Alaska</span> CDP in Alaska, United States

Skwentna is a census-designated place (CDP) on Iditarod Trail in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska, United States. Located 61 miles northwest of Wasilla along the Skwentna River, it is part of the Anchorage, Alaska Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the 2020 census the population was 62, up from 37 in 2010. The town is served by Skwentna Airport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eagle River, Anchorage, Alaska</span> Community in Alaska, USA

Eagle River is a community within the Municipality of Anchorage situated on the Eagle River, for which it is named, between Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER) and Chugach State Park in the Chugach Mountains. Its ZIP code is 99577. Settled by homesteaders, Eagle River has been annexed to the Municipality of Anchorage since the 1970s—a relationship that is, at times, complicated. On the one hand, Eagle River functions as an Anchorage suburb--many Eagle River residents work, shop, and participate in community life in the Anchorage Bowl. On the other hand, the community is itself a significant business hub between Wasilla and Anchorage, offering shopping, restaurants, recreation and employment. Much of the community is made up of residents from nearby Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. Secession efforts have from time to time gained traction by residents who would like Eagle River legally regarded as a separate community. Eagle River also has a close relationship with its neighboring community to the north, Chugiak, with which it shares some history. If Eagle River were not part of the Municipality of Anchorage, it would be classified as one of the five largest cities in Alaska.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sullivan Arena</span> Arena in Alaska, United States

The George M. Sullivan Arena is a 6,290-seat arena in Anchorage, Alaska, United States. The arena is named after former Anchorage mayor George M. Sullivan. It is owned by the Municipality of Anchorage and operated by O'Malley Ice & Sports, who operates the Ben Boeke Ice Rink. The Sullivan Arena sits in the southwest region of Fairview, a neighborhood in Anchorage. The arena opened in 1983 and sits just east of Mulcahy Stadium as part of the Chester Creek Sports Complex. Sullivan Arena hosted the 1989 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships along with the Harry J. McDonald Memorial Center in Eagle River.

Mulcahy Stadium is a 3,500-capacity baseball park in Anchorage, Alaska. Built in 1964, it is home to two teams of the Alaska Baseball League: the Anchorage Glacier Pilots and Anchorage Bucs. In addition to the Glacier Pilots and Bucs, high school and American Legion games are played at Mulcahy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knik Arm Bridge</span> Dormant proposal for a bridge across Cook Inlets Knik Arm

The Knik Arm Bridge is a dormant proposal for a 1.74-mile (2.80 km) bridge across Cook Inlet's Knik Arm to link the two fastest growing parts of Alaska – Anchorage and the Matanuska-Susitna Borough.

The Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center, originally Wasilla Multi-Use Sports Complex, is a 102,000 square foot multi-purpose arena in Wasilla, Alaska, designed to accommodate up to 5,000 people.

KLEF is a commercial radio station in Anchorage, Alaska. It is owned by Chinook Concert Broadcasters with studios on East 65th Avenue. It is one of the last classical music radio stations in the U.S. supported by advertising, not donations. It sounds out its call letters as "Clef," referring to a treble clef found on sheet music.

KVNT is a commercial radio station in Eagle River, Alaska, broadcasting to the Anchorage metropolitan area. It airs a talk radio format and is owned by CBI Media Group. Its studios are located on Business Park Boulevard in Anchorage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Downtown Anchorage</span> Neighborhood in the U.S. city of Anchorage, Alaska

Downtown Anchorage is a neighborhood in the U.S. city of Anchorage, Alaska. Considered the central business district of Anchorage, Downtown has many office buildings, cultural points of interest, shopping areas, as well as dining and nightlife attractions. Today's Downtown was the original site of the Anchorage Land Auction in 1915, which gave rise to today's present-day grid street pattern. The actual original townsite was a tent city located off the banks of Ship Creek, at present-day Government Hill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anchorage Police Department</span> Police department in Alaska

The Anchorage Police Department (APD) is the police department of the Municipality of Anchorage in Alaska. Functioning as a service area of the Municipality, its patrol area includes the core "Anchorage bowl", the Seward Highway corridor from Potter Creek south to McHugh Creek, and the Glenn Highway corridor north of the Anchorage bowl to the municipality's border with the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, including the communities of Eagle River, Chugiak and Eklutna. Through a memorandum of understanding, APD also handles calls on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson which involve civilian suspects or victims. Serving Alaska's largest city, APD is also the only metropolitan agency and the largest municipal police force in Alaska.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snowman</span> Figure sculpted from snow

A snowman is an anthropomorphic snow sculpture of a man often built in regions with sufficient snowfall and is a common winter tradition. In many places, typical snowmen consist of three large snowballs of different sizes with some additional accoutrements for facial and other features. Due to the sculptability of snow, there is also a wide variety of other styles. Common accessories include branches for arms and a smiley face made of stones, with a carrot used for a nose. Clothing, such as a hat or scarf, may be included.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Linny Pacillo Parking Garage</span>

The Linny Pacillo Parking Garage is a 10-story parking garage in downtown Anchorage, Alaska, United States. The upper nine stories are for parking, with the first story serving as retail space. The structure contains a total of 368,830 square feet (34,265 m2), including the retail space. Owned by the state government of Alaska, it provides 844 parking spaces for state employees, plus 40 spaces for visitors. The garage sits across from and services the Robert B. Atwood Building. The garage was built to replace parking spaces in downtown which were displaced by the construction of the Dena'ina Civic and Convention Center. The garage was designed by architects Koonce Pfeffer Bettis Inc. Construction of the garage began on February 1, 2007, and it opened on September 8, 2008. Tenants on the first floor are Northrim Bank, who have been inaugural tenants of the facility, and the Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles, who opened their downtown Anchorage office in the facility on November 9, 2010.

Midnight Sun Brewing Company (MSBC) is a craft brewery that produces over 40 different ales and lagers each year. Founded in 1995, it is Anchorage, Alaska's first brewery and the second oldest in state history, following Alaska Brewing Co. in 1986. The brewery has been in their current location since May 2009, with a tap-house and full-service restaurant. MSBC has won several awards for their beers, including medals from the Great American Beer Festival and the World Beer Cup. The brewery sells its beers in 12-oz cans, 22-oz bottles, 5 gallon kegs, and 64 oz growlers. Their U.S. distribution is limited to AK, WA, ID, OR, CA, HI, and NY.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bartlett High School (Alaska)</span> Public, 4-year school in Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Bartlett High School is a high school in Anchorage, Alaska. It had an enrollment of 1,666 as of November 26, 2016. Construction started in 1971, and the first classes were held in 1973. The school originally housed both Bartlett High School, named after U.S. Senator Bob Bartlett, and Begich Junior High School, named after U.S. Representative Nick Begich.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">E. L. Patton Yukon River Bridge</span> Girder bridge spanning the Yukon River, carrying the Dalton Highway in Alaska, United States

The Yukon River Bridge, officially known as the E. L. Patton Bridge, is a girder bridge spanning the Yukon River in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska, United States. The bridge carries both the Dalton Highway and the Alaska Pipeline in connecting Fairbanks with Deadhorse near the Arctic Ocean and the Prudhoe Bay Oil Field. It is the only bridge crossing of the Yukon in Alaska.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge</span>

The Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge is a wildlife refuge located in the Anchorage Municipality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of Anchorage, Alaska</span>

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Anchorage, Alaska, United States.

Snowzilla may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fairview, Anchorage</span> Neighborhood in Anchorage, Alaska

Fairview is a neighborhood in Anchorage, Alaska just east of Downtown Anchorage and west of the Merrill Field Airport. The area is a working-class neighborhood of approximately 7,200 residents, with a median household income of approximately $55,000 and a poverty rate of approximately 21%.

References

  1. ↑ "Anchorage man builds monster snowman", Associated Press at USA Today , December 19, 2005.
  2. ↑ "Giant snowman rises even bigger in Alaska neighborhood", Associated Press at USA Today , December 26, 2006. ("Last year's version, with Alaskan Amber beer bottles for eyes, drew scores of photo-snapping crowds and TV crews from Japan and Russia before it melted in the spring.")
  3. ↑ Katie Pesznecker, "Snowzilla II: It's bigger", Anchorage Daily News , December 25, 2006.
  4. ↑ "Alaska Snowman Has Some Neighbors Fuming", Associated Press at The Washington Post , January 6, 2007.
  5. ↑ http://www.charlotteobserver.com/104/story/434020.html Article in 24 December 2008 issue of US newspaper Charlotte Observer[ dead link ]
  6. 1 2 Elizabeth Bluemink, "Snowzilla rises again in Anchorage, despite city opposition", Deseret News , December 25, 2008.
  7. ↑ http://www.boston.com/news/odd/articles/2008/12/24/giant_snowman_rises_again_in_alaska____mysteriously/ Article in 24 December 2008 issue of US newspaper Boston Globe Archived December 26, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  8. ↑ "Alaska's 'Snowzilla' Rises Again, Mysteriously", Associated Press at Fox News, December 24, 2008.
  9. ↑ "Snowzilla Declared Public Nuisance", Morning Edition , NPR, December 23, 2008 (audio).
  10. ↑ Kyle Hopkins, "Snowzilla squad suffers setback at City Hall", Anchorage Daily News , December 26, 2008.
  11. ↑ Radley Balko, "Humidity Built the Snowman, Anchorage Brought Him Down", Reason , December 29, 2008.
  12. ↑ Joshua Saul, "Snowzilla rises again", Alaska Dispatch , December 18, 2009.
  13. ↑ James Halpin, "Snowzilla will rise again, likely without city interference", Anchorage Daily News , December 19, 2009.
  14. ↑ Rebecca Luczycki, "Snowzilla", Alaska , January 11, 2011, archived from the original at the Wayback Machine (accessed 2013-02-02).

61°12′24″N149°49′05″W / 61.20675°N 149.81802°W / 61.20675; -149.81802

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.