Re: TOTEM POLE

#683822

WSB
Keymaster

Thanks for noting that, I hadn’t noted the gap but have added an editor’s note. LMA talked about this possible restorer type in a comment late this morning, then came back seven hours later and mentioned his website.

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Regarding “how did they do it.” We have kind of lived this story for the past week. So here to recap, the series of events as it seems to have transpired:

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Crane hired late in day last Monday, says crane op. Suspect allegedly tells crane company he is authorized to do this on behalf of a city commission/board that restores art work. According to police, has believable paperwork. Guy even has the proper tools for removing this and knows just how to do it (apparently no small feat), says crane guy. Crane company hoists pole. Crane truck gets stuck in mud. Tow truck called. It’s now dark, a week ago Monday night (Nov. 30th). Tow truck pulls crane truck out.

Neighbor notices this is a traffic hazard, calls police, who come out and direct traffic. It all apparently appeared legit to them. Truck finally hauls totem pole away. Allegedly to house in Lake Sawyer, according to what the sleuthing Rotarians were told.

Seriously, if you passed by official looking trucks doing something like this, would YOU have said ‘hey, that looks fishy?’ Maybe now, yes. But as multiple commenters have said, who the hell STEALS A TOTEM POLE?

Meantime, I’m not sure what happened Tuesday, but Wednesday morning we get a note from a WSB’er who was driving by with her son, who said, hey mom, where’d the totem pole go ? She sends us a note asking if it’s been removed for maintenance. I send Parks a note asking that. Meantime, Patrick and I go over to see if it really is gone. We photograph pole-less pedestal and tracks in grass. Parks keeps investigating. I don’t hear back by day’s end.

I contact them first thing Thursday morning. We can’t find anyone who authorized it so we’re reporting it as stolen, they say – I talked not only to the PR contact I usually deal with in Parks, but also with the maintenance supervisor for this area whose responsibility includes that little park; he’s based at Lincoln Park. We publish the first story about the totem pole gone and believed to have been stolen. Meantime we hear from Rotarians that they too are trying to find out what happened – I wound up corresponding with one of them while covering the reservoir meeting in High Point Thursday night – he refers me to another one for whom I leave voice mail (but no callback till next day).

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Fast forward to Saturday. We were hanging out with the Rotarians covering the Christmas Shopping Spree in the morning and they agreed to let one of us go along in the afternoon when the crane truck driver told them he could show them where he took the pole. (See photo in today’s story.)

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No sign of pole from middle-of-nowhere street. Nobody home. Rotarians however have gotten a name for the suspect and that seems to be who neighbors say is moving out there from WS.

Neighbors say they didn’t see a pole, though. So how the pole got from being allegedly dropped in remote driveway, to trucked to Oregon, that’s not clear. We’ll await the charging papers to see the full narrative. Rotarians say they talked to the suspect more than a few times and he repeatedly denied knowing anything about any totem pole.

Police develop enough evidence to get an arrest warrant for the suspect on Wednesday. They reportedly found him at Hamilton Viewpoint, near his North Admiral home. They question him for hours. They told us he finally told them the pole’s in Oregon. They also find another mystery pole. They will be searching to see if anything else turns up at sites linked to the suspect.

Charges are not yet filed so we’re not publishing the guy’s name. How long it will take to file charges, not known – if someone is in custody, they need to be charged within 72 hours or they get to go free. He is not in custody. I’ll be checking with prosecutors daily, and with Parks regarding arrangements for getting pole home.