RUMFORD — Grab your cameras, bring the kids, Babe the Blue Ox is arriving at noon Thursday, Oct. 8, on upper Congress Street on the Rite-Aid Pharmacy lot.
Rumford's 6-foot-tall, 10-foot-long economic-development bovine from a Wisconsin factory will be traveling east on Route 2 atop a flatbed trailer from Bethel on Thursday morning, according to Jim Rinaldo, an Economic Development Committee member.
"He'll be a little bigger than the oxen at the Fryeburg Fair," Rinaldo said on Tuesday of Babe, the mythical sidekick of Paul Bunyan.
Babe's horn spread is 55 inches. He was created by a company in Belfast that specializes in constructing giant farm animals.
In August, selectmen voted 3-1 to take $6,500 from the town's economic development fund to buy Babe as a business attraction to help draw people into the downtown. It was Rinaldo's idea.
"We're trying to help the merchants on Congress Street," he said.
Rumford's Paul Bunyan replica is at the information center on Bridge Street, where 5,000 to 6,000 people visit annually, Rinaldo said.
Because many tourists have their pictures taken with Paul each year, most town officials and Rinaldo believe that by placing Babe at the upper end of Congress Street, people will follow directional signs between the two American tall-tale icons and visit shops they wouldn't normally see.
"People are definitely interested in the thing," Rinaldo said.
He said Rite-Aid store manager Jerry Clark has been getting calls daily from people, asking when Babe is coming to town.
Although it will only take about 15 to 20 minutes to offload Babe from the flatbed, Rinaldo said he was hoping to see fanfare or ceremony of some kind.
That's why he asked Town Manager Carlo Puiia to speak with police Chief Stacy Carter to give Babe a police escort from the information center to the blue bovine's new home, looking down Congress Street.
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Only a group of politicians
Only a group of politicians would come up with this idea. Rumford has enough problems
"There are a lot of bad republicans; there are no good democrats." Ann Coulter
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Next to the streetsweeper this is the next biggest waste of taxpayer money. I hope all the photo op people and Dignataries stand at the correct end of the ox,if not it might be hard to tell who's who. Well anyway no matter what happens to Rumford....We got you Babe as Sonny and Cher once sang
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Maybe they can get all the unemployed to march with all the bands coming in, that should fill up the streets.
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Are they bussing the bands, majorettes, color guard, cheerleaders in for the big celebration? What about the national guard? We really should have a 21 gun salute.
If we could only return to common sense...
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Just when you think you've seen it all. Are they going to get a purple cow to keep the ox company?
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THANK GOD BABE IS COMING!!!!!!!! I was worried the economy was going to continue it's down turn but with Babe coming he is gonna be the save all! We want our departments to cut money but at the same time waste it on this pink elephant. Maybe they should get the Highway and Fire Departments to assist the Police so we can continue to ask them to cut the NEEDS to fill the WANTS.
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.I am glad to see my tax
I am glad to see my tax increase going to good use. We need to wake up and start running the town like a business, you don't spend what you don't have! I think it is going to take more the an ox to lure people to congress street. Last time I check there are fewer and fewer business, they are all moving to Mexico.
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I know what you mean, Dr. Dosh, in my high school years, pranksters stole a huge rooster statue from a restaurant and put it in front of the high school on the lawn, along with a bunch of port-a-pots and real estate signs.
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.What a complete and ever
What a complete and ever expanding waste of taxpayer money. First $6,500 for the Blue Ox, then the pad, we still haven't heard the bill for the installation or the signage and now a police escort and god knows what. What about the insurance because for the thing because it sure will not be long before some kid is put on top for a photo op by a parent who fails to first engage their brain or a drunken adult from one of the local drinken extablishments decides to take a ride and falls off and breaks something and RiteAid and the Town are getting sued. What a waste.
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