Piqua is a small town in western Ohio with 20K residents, according to the latest census. An ordinary town, of which there are hundreds and thousands in the country, known, for example, for the fact that the famous Mills Brothers jazz band was formed there, and Don Gentile, the legendary air ace of the World War II, was born there too.
A statue of the famous pilot now stands in Piqua's downtown, and if you open any Ohio guide book, you will most likely find it there. However, recently Piqua has been adorned by another, much more unexpected and massive statue...
A woman in Piqua, Ohio, erected a 10-foot-tall werewolf statue last Halloween, and decided to keep it standing after the holiday
Image credits: coolmom42069
However, some neighbors weren't happy about the statue, so they reported it to city hall
Last Halloween, Piqua resident Mary Simmons erected a 10-foot werewolf statue in her front yard, adorning it with a skeleton dangling from a giant paw and other holiday-appropriate decorations. But more than six months have passed since then, and the werewolf still towers over the surrounding houses, only now he is dressed in torn pants and a T-shirt in the colors of the American flag. Cause? The owner just likes it.
Image credits: coolmom42069
Image credits: coolmom42069
When the authorities demanded the owner take the statue down, she just complied maliciously as they called it 'a seasonal decoration'
Mary named the werewolf 'Phil' and left him standing on her property. True, obviously, some of the neighbors did not like the new attraction, and they complained about it to the mayor's office. So one day, Simmons saw on her porch a demand from the city authorities to take down the "seasonal decoration". "Seasonal? Damn, they're right!" so the owner of the statue probably thought - and the next morning the werewolf stood in the stars and stripes, just in time for Flag Day and the upcoming Independence Day.
Image credits: coolmom42069
Image credits: coolmom42069
Image credits: coolmom42069
Mary Simmons has gradually become a local celebrity - at least reporters from the city TV channel have come to visit her more than once. In one of the interviews, the woman said that she was already thinking about outfits for Phil for the next holidays. For example, some turkey costume or pilgrim's outfit - why not? Since City Hall thinks it's a "seasonal decoration"...
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Image credits: swagmastarpaul
Neighbors really have mixed feelings about the statue, yet most of the kids are just happy
Neighbors' opinions about the werewolf next door also differ. Some people find the new furry and clawed attraction annoying and 'ugly', while others consider it 'cool.' One thing is for sure - if there is a category of Piqua residents who are completely delighted with Phil, it is, of course, children. And I completely understand them. Damn it, if there had been a werewolf like this in my neighborhood over thirty years ago, I would have been floating on air...
Image credits: NwMuseumNwUDont
Image credits: Markofthebelts
As for Simmons, she is definitely not going to give up, and will fight for her rights and her werewolf's right to life to the last. "I make sure he's good. Like if he was falling apart, his head was ready to fall off and hit somebody, I'd take him down," News Center 7 quotes Mary. "Just let me have my werewolf, that's all I want. I'm not asking for a lot, just let me have my werewolf."
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Image credits: Enric Cruz López (not the actual photo)
Image credits: CenterJuiceNA
There are several similar cases around the world, and the most famous is probably the 'Headington Shark' in the UK
I must say that if the mayor's office or one of Phil's opponents were to start a lawsuit, then Mary Simmons has a chance of success in court, and the chances are considerable. At the very least, there are many precedents associated with such sculptures, and perhaps the most famous of them is the so-called Headington Shark: a statue of a large shark, built into the roof of one of the houses in the town of Headington, in the UK, back in August 1986.
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Image credits: Daniel Canfield (not the actual photo)
However, the story of the Headington shark is more of a manifestation of activism, because it appeared on the order of the local radio host Bill Heine, symbolizing his despair over military conflicts in the world, as well as nuclear pollution of the planet. No wonder the statue appeared a few months after the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Then, after several years of litigation, the authorities decided that the shark was a kind of work of art and allowed it to stay.
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People in the comments just sided with the woman and the werewolf, and urged city hall to leave them both alone
By the way, many commenters on Twitter also cited the shark as an example, and in addition, they reminded readers of other similar, but less well-known sculptures. For example, about a giant skeleton that has adorned a neighboring house for a whole year, according to one of the folks in the comments. Or, let's say, the statue of a velociraptor lurking next to the wall of another commenter's house. After all, the most probably correct opinion is: "This lady is 'living her best life,' clearly, and the city is harassing her. Don't we want people to be happy too?" It's hard to disagree, isn't it?
Image credits: wendymart69
Image credits: Milo_Ramone_II
However, the Piqua authorities have already made their decision - and now the werewolf can stand in his place until Mary Simmons decides to remove him. Or until some local Professor van Helsing shows up... In the meantime, please feel free to enjoy the pics of Phil and maybe express your opinion on him in the comments below. Or even post any pictures of similar statues if you have one... Who knows, because our planet is full of funny things that are still waiting to be discovered and recognized...