Snowzilla
Encyclopedia
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
, USA.
nose, and two eyes made out of beer
bottles. In 2008 the accumulated snow rose to an estimated 25 feet (7.6 m) height.
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 "mysteriously" re-appeared on Powers' lawn, although he denies making it.
A strong public outcry soon arose over the apparent municipal interference with an inoffensive holiday tradition, and a website ("Snowzilla.org") appeared on 23 December 2008. In 2009 a writer on that website stated that a new mayor was sitting in City Hall, and as a result the family expected to be able to erect the giant snowman without interference.
Snowman
A snowman is an anthropomorphic snow sculpture. They are customarily built by children as part of a family project in celebration of winter. In some cases, participants in winter festivals will build large numbers of snowmen...
which has been erected each pre-Christmas season since 2005 in the front yard of private resident Billy Powers' home in Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage is a unified home rule municipality in the southcentral part of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the northernmost major city in the United States...
, USA.
History
The first Snowzilla was built in 2005. It rose to 16 feet (4.9 m), and featured a corncob pipe, a carrotCarrot
The carrot is a root vegetable, usually orange in colour, though purple, red, white, and yellow varieties exist. It has a crisp texture when fresh...
nose, and two eyes made out of beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
bottles. In 2008 the accumulated snow rose to an estimated 25 feet (7.6 m) height.
Controversy
One neighbor in the block complained of heavy traffic and cited safety concerns about a very large snowman on the front lawnLawn
A lawn is an area of aesthetic and recreational land planted with grasses or other durable plants, which usually are maintained at a low and consistent height. Low ornamental meadows in natural landscaping styles are a contemporary option of a lawn...
of a residential neighborhood, as a result of which city officials issued a cease and desist
Cease and desist
A cease and desist is an order or request to halt an activity and not to take it up again later or else face legal action. The recipient of the cease-and-desist may be an individual or an organization....
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 "mysteriously" re-appeared on Powers' lawn, although he denies making it.
A strong public outcry soon arose over the apparent municipal interference with an inoffensive holiday tradition, and a website ("Snowzilla.org") appeared on 23 December 2008. In 2009 a writer on that website stated that a new mayor was sitting in City Hall, and as a result the family expected to be able to erect the giant snowman without interference.