Snowzilla returns from the Dead! ~ You have to see what happened in Anchorage, Alaska last night!

[snowbear]

(I included the history so you'd know the story behind Snowzilla) ~

Winter 2005....

Billy Powers of Columbine Street in Anchorage builds a giant 2-story snowman in his front yard and dubbed him "Snowzilla".



Winter 2006....

Snowzilla II: It's bigger
Gigantic figure known round the world in 2005 makes second appearance

By KATIE PESZNECKER
Anchorage Daily News

Published: December 25th, 2006 04:33 AM

All the snow that fell in the past week was the Christmas gift Billy Powers needed to resurrect a wintry wonder that took Anchorage by storm a year ago and became known near and far as Snowzilla.

The snowman towered some 16 feet in Powers' front yard in Airport Heights until the sun shrank it to an icy sliver in the spring. Decorated in homemade duds, with Alaskan Amber beer bottles for eyes, Snowzilla drew droves of picture-snapping admirers at all hours and made international headlines.

continued- http://www.adn.com/626/story/45353.html

Winter 2007....

From Anchorage Daily News 1-5-07

Sure, Snowzilla, the famous two-story snowman in Airport Heights, makes for a cute photo-op.

But try living with it.

"I'm standing in my living room, looking though my front window and all I see is a stupid, big-ass snowman, " said Anthony Bahler, whose turquoise duplex is for sale across the street from the hulking snow character.

Bahler's neighbor, Billy Powers, supervised construction of freakish Frosty for the first time last year, and with the help of the Internet, it became an international media sensation, drawing crowds of visitors.

But all the attention is wearing on some of the neighbors. The idea is nice, they say, just not on their once-quiet street. If the neighborhood drama were a movie, it could be called "Snowzilla vs. NIMBY."

Last year, Snowzilla stories ran in USA TODAY and on CNN. A news crew came all the way from Japan. Powers, at home Thursday, insisted that more than 100,000 people made pilgrimages to his yard.

This year, with the help of his kids and neighbors, Powers resurrected Snowzilla -- with its giant hat made from tomato cages, corn-cob pipe and beer-bottle eyes -- stacking the three icy body balls 6 feet taller than last winter. Once again, gawkers are streaming down Columbine Street.

"Everybody likes it, " he said. "That's the reason I do it, really, I like the smiling faces."

2007 story continued: http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/anchorage/story/632191.html

Winter 2008....

>>>>> Two Days Ago: SNOWZILLA SLAYED !! <<<<<

City code officer slays Snowzilla
Giant snowman deemed a public nuisance, safety hazard

By ELIZABETH BLUEMINK
Anchorage Daily News
[e-mail]

Published: December 21st, 2008 10:14 PM
Last Modified: December 21st, 2008 02:15 PM

Anchorage's famous giant snow man, Snowzilla, finally met its match.

It wasn't the weather. It wasn't angry neighbors bearing shovels and pick axes.

It turns out Snowzilla's biggest foe -- the one who felled the controversial but much-loved giant -- was a notice-bearing city code enforcement officer.

That's right, Snowzilla was abated.

It was just a few years ago that 16-foot-tall Snowzilla arose in a residential yard in Airport Heights, launching an annual procession of local gawkers and an international media blitz.

continued: http://www.adn.com/front/story/630926.html

**** BREAKING NEWS OUT OF ANCHORAGE ****
(Reported on Anchorage Daily News just a few hours ago):

Guerrilla Snowzilla rises overnight


Photo taken December 23, 2008

By ELIZABETH BLUEMINK | [e-mail]

Published: December 23rd, 2008 09:39 AM
Last Modified: December 23rd, 2008 12:27 PM

Snowzilla the giant snowman came back from the dead, bigger than ever, this morning after some determined pranksters defied city orders and rebuilt him overnight.

Until yesterday, the controversial and world-famous snowman was a pile of snow debris in an East Anchorage front yard.

Snowzilla seemed to be a dead issue after city code enforcers declared it a nuisance and safety hazard a few weeks ago -- before this winter's version was constructed.

Officials banned Snowzilla's creators, the Powers family, from "the building, enlargement or any other action ascribed with the construction of the extraordinarily large snowman," according to the city order.

Nevertheless, Snowzilla is back in a big way. It's about 25 feet tall, sporting a new corncob pipe and carrot nose.

It's clear the snowman was built quickly: It's looking a little lumpier than it did in previous incarnations.

If city enforcers pay Snowzilla a visit today, homeowner Billy Powers said, he will tell them the snowman's return was the result of Christmas magic.

Full story: http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/632231.html


Billy Powers stands in front of "the quickly built Snowzilla" which was erected by unknown pranksters on Monday night

Anchorage Daily News - December 23: Snowzilla fans call for lawsuit against the city of Anchorage
http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/newsreader/story/632173.html

~ ~ ~

P.S.. I've never driven over to the neighborhood that Snowzilla is in, but I may have to try to make it over there tonight with my camera!

Long live Snowzilla! ...

[Blue_In_AK]

1. No shit??!!

That's FABULOUS! I understand how the neighbors feel, but I agree with the letterwriter in this morning's paper that it's no different than people driving around looking at Christmas lights this time of year. I believe Billy Powers with his antiestablishment attitude is my new hero. :thumbsup:

[roguevalley]

15. I love snowzilla. I will have to go and check him out.

[malaise]

26. Go Snowzilla

Happy Holidays :hi:

[Catshrink]

2. Snowzilla 2007

That's my nephew taking the photos.

[snowbear]

4. Wow! ..that's awesome!

.
.

I guess we still don't know who built the new Snowzilla last night, but I say KUDOS to them!!

[Blue_In_AK]

5. Thanks, Catshrink

I have a picture of Snowzilla 2006 around here somewhere. Maybe I can dig it out of my archives.

[SoCalDem]

21. The first picture..Looked like he was trying to SHOOT Snowie

:rofl:...then I realized it was a phone,,not a gun

[Catshrink]

22. I actually thought that too.

I suspect he helped resurrect Snowzilla 2008 but he'll never own up to it if he was involved.

[babylonsister]

3. The 'murder' of Snowzilla is now 'abatement'?

:grr: How'd they do that, anyway?

Ah, nice lil Christmas story-not! When did people lose their spirit and senses of humor?

[snowbear]

6. But the end of the story (for now anyway) is happy babylonsis...

.
.

I mean... ..look at what some unknown Snowzilla fans did while we all slept last night!

And it looks like they've even started a website to "Save Snowzilla"!

[monmouth]

11. I tried www.savesnowzilla.org and .com but no luck. ....n/t

[Blue_In_AK]

8. Cranky neighbors.

I say f*** 'em. If I can live with the traffic the crack dealers across the street draw to my neighborhood, they can live with the traffic to see Snowzilla.

[snowbear]

9. Yeah, really... And I'm guessing from all those articles..

.

..that the neighbor who was doing the most complaining (Anthony Bahler) never did sell his turquoise duplex!

""I'm standing in my living room, looking though my front window and all I see is a stupid, big-ass snowman, " said Anthony Bahler, whose turquoise duplex is for sale across the street from the hulking snow character.

[G_j]

13. that was funny!

!:rofl:!

[proud2BlibKansan]

37. And I guess the fact that it's turquoise doesn't hinder the sale at all!

It won't sell because of that damn snowman across the street! :sarcasm:

[acmavm]

29. Crack dealers across the street? Could be worse, you could live across

from the Johnstons.

[canetoad]

20. Funnily enough

It is the correct term!

The word abate comes from the old French word abbatre, which meants to beat down, similarly abbatoir.

[XemaSab]

7. Classic!

:D

[AtomicKitten]

10. Nobody puts Snowzilla in the corner!

[KamaAina]

12. Now they can get to work on "Sarahzilla"!

:P

[Blue_In_AK]

14. Snowzilla 2006

LONG LIVE SNOWZILLA!!!

[snowbear]

16. Thanks Blue! .. Did you take those?

.
.

I like the snowman's "beer bottle eyes" ..

[Blue_In_AK]

18. I did.

I'm happy to have contributed to turquoise duplex's angst. :rofl:

[BR_Parkway]

17. Idiot neighbor - if my tourquoize duplex was for sale and my neighbor

bought 100,000 people down my street, I'd bake him cookies or something. Talk about exposure.

[snowbear]

23. OMG, great point !!!!!!

.
.

[sarcasmo]

24. Turquoise duplex, really speaks for itself.

[pansypoo53219]

19. we've had a extra big snowman out in the country on a little county hwy

near a newish hopital. we certainly had enough snow again. but it has a much wider base and a bucket hat.

[snowbear]

27. If you find a picture, please share it here!

.
.

In the meantime, I found some other kewl snowman!


Harbin, China


Bethel, Maine


University of North Carolina


Snowman picnic, United Kingdom


Another snowman in UK


3 snowmen - Finland


Snowman, New York

~~~~~~~~~

[rug]

25. Frankensnow.

:scared:

[northofdenali]

28. Rock ON, Snowzilla!!!

I like the use of Alaskan Amber as part of the decor - very apropos! Friends from Wasilla are heading that way tonight, so maybe I'll have some fresh pictures to share!

Thanks, larissa, and Happy Holidays!

[snot]

30. Is that a real . . . . CARROT???

[Manifestor_of_Light]

31. the past tense of SLAY is SLAIN. Thank you. That is all.

Grammar nazi here.

[lumberjack_jeff]

32. Slewn. n/t

[snowbear]

33. LOL...

.
.

If you're the grammer police here, you must be REALLY busy! ...

[ProdigalJunkMail]

38. maybe it should have been 'sleighed' or 'sleighn' n/t

[dems_rightnow]

34. Snowzilla would get his ass kicked by...

...... the Bethel Maine SnowWoman.

At 13 million pounds and 122' high, she takes a backseat to no snow creature.

http://www.bethelmainesnowwoman.com/

[Canuckistanian]

35. You can't keep a good snowman down

What a story, complete with a Grinch who is vanquished!

[Mad_Dem_X]

36. You can't stop Snowzilla!

:applause:

[xenussister]

39. HAHA! Snowman protestors appear at City Hall

I saw this on another message board.

http://www.ktuu.com/Global/story.asp?S=9583552

There are photos and a video at that link.

Supports come in all sizes, and some of Snowzilla's little friends came to his aide Thursday.

A group of small snowmen supporters were caught picketing outside of City Hall on the sidewalk, but they have since been removed.

The city says the building's maintenance worker who is in charge of clearing the sidewalk of snow removed Snowzilla's friends before the building opened Friday.

The city offered no comment about the snowmen.

Snowzilla's creator says he found out about them through a Web site created by anonymous supporters, and he drove to City Hall Thursday night to see them.

"There's a lot of folks who flat-out think this is Big Brother squeezing the little guy," Powers said. "But I didn't think anybody would go down to City Hall. I mean, they gotta kind of expose themselves out there at City Hall, you know what I'm saying?"

Powers told us he has no idea who created the snowmen.