The last dinosaur in Clarksville
What the...? Hey, is that a giant dinosaur on that lawn?
We've passed this friendly-looking T-Rex countless times while driving through the southern Albany County town of Clarksville. We'd always wondered what exactly the story behind the massive beast was, so last week we stopped and chatted with owner Art Van Praag.
It turns out the giant dinosaur started out as a school project. Kids at the Bethlehem Central School built him out of muslin, chicken wire, foam and paint for a Jurassic Park-themed event.
When the event was done, the students needed to find a new "home" for the dinosaur. Art was working at the school and offered to adopt the big guy. Since then, the dinosaur has enjoyed a happy retirement keeping watch outside Art's Route 443 home (that's the part of Delaware Ave. that extends past Albany and Delmar).
These days he's enjoying an ice cream cone, but check in on him again in a few months. Art likes to change his decor to match the season.
Say Something!
We'd really like you to take part in the conversation here at All Over Albany. But we do have a few rules here. Don't worry, they're easy. The first: be kind. The second: treat everyone else with the same respect you'd like to see in return. Cool? Great, post away. Comments are moderated so it might take a little while for your comment to show up. Thanks for being patient.
Comments
Look at the way that dino is attacking the ice cream. Look at the anger in his eyes. Nothing will get in the way of him and his sorbet. Everything else be damned!
Now I know what I look like to my family and friends when we go to Stewarts. Thanks AOA!
... said Pantaloons on Aug 22, 2008 at 3:38 PM | link