From the Albuquerque Journal
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>By Miguel Navrot
Journal Staff Writer
The deadlocked water battle that has raged for two decades in Santa Fe's historical Guadalupe Neighborhood will soon bow to current sensitivities. Next week, the statue called "The Children's Fountain of Santa Fe" in West De Vargas Park will be disarmed.
After a year of thinking about it, area artist Linda Strong has decided to hack off the water pistol that the bronze version of her son uses in an eternal water fight with his sister.
As a replacement for the water gun, the boy will get a bronze hose.
"Why fight it?" Strong asked of the vandalism, critical letters to the editor and other complaints inspired in recent years by the toy gun in her playful statue, which has become a familiar Downtown landmark since it was installed in 1979.
The fountain depicts two children, Strong's son and daughter, having a water fight. Her daughter Kare, who was 10 years old when the statue was cast, is equipped with a garden hose. Son Lars, 11 years old when immortalized in the fountain, wields a square-barrel squirt gun. He's also packing a slingshot in his back pocket.
When the fountain is operating, the two smiling figures blast water at each other in a spray of hydro-glory.
A generation of Santa Feans has grown up with the statue at the park, which also has featured various kinds of playground equipment through the years. The two bronze children provide company for picnickers, people looking for work at the nearby state Labor Department offices, dog walkers and skaters who use the park every day.
But in recent years, with increased attention to youth violence and what causes it, a number of local critics have come forward to condemn the statue's shooting water pistol, contending the gun sends a bad message to young people.
The criticism increased after last year's shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado.
"Of course, once that happened, people started seeing things differently," Greg Kuebli of the Santa Fe Arts Commission said. "It's a little heavy."
Complaints about the fountain water gun have been received at City Hall, Kuebli said. But he said a few calls and letters also have called for the statue to remain as is.
"Some people tell me, 'When we were kids, we all had squirt guns,' '' Kuebli said. He said he prohibits his own 3-year-old son from playing with toy guns.
The controversy over her piece has been difficult for Strong.
"It's gotten defaced. There have been, about a year ago, several very nasty letters to the editor about the violence that the gun portrayed," Strong said. "So, at first, I thought, 'God damn it! Those were different times.' ''
Intended as a tribute to playfulness, the statue was dedicated during the International Year of the Child, Strong said.
"I lost no sleep, but I was upset at the beginning," Strong said of the criticism. "Since then I've thought it would be OK to change."
Another matter had also been considered — Strong's name.
When she made the statue, her name was Linda Miner. Redoing the fountain statue now would give her a chance to put her current name on the piece.
Also, she said changing the fountain may help clear up a misconception — that another area artist, Glenna Goodacre, made the fountain.
Removing the gun won't be as easy as, say, taking away a toy from a misbehaving child.
The bronze boy's entire right hand is going to have to be severed and removed. A new hand holding a metal hose has been fashioned, and Strong will have to attach that to Lars' amputated bronze arm, taking care that the piping that carries water through the fountain doesn't leak afterward.
"I don't know how we're going to do it," Strong said of the metallic surgery, which is scheduled for noon Thursday. "There's that copper pipe in there. It's going to be kind of goofy to do."
The city and Strong's family have donated money to cover the work. Strong said she'll cover some of the expenses personally.
Not everyone is thrilled about the weapon overhaul.
"Who cares what some people might think?" asked Chris Garcia, a 14-year-old Santa Fean who skateboards at the park several times a week. "It's kind of hard to explain. It's our history, but at the same time, most people don't ever pay attention to it."
Eve LaFountain, who strolled by the park Friday afternoon to see the fountain in its dry state, questioned if the change will have much effect.
"I don't think it's going to stop someone from going out and shooting people," the 15-year-old city native said, adding that she preferred the water pistol. "I think it's kind of cute. I don't like hoses."
Arianna Trott, also 15 and a friend of Eve's, argued the fountain itself hasn't caused trouble.
"I've grown up with this statue my whole life," Arianna said. "It's part of Santa Fe. If it's been here this long, I don't think people are going to start having problems with it."
As for the soon-to-be replaced pistol-clasping hand, Strong said she's holding on to it.
"Absolutely," she said. "I think I should mount it on something."
The undertaking won't do away with every gun in the piece, however.
The version of Strong's daughter in the fountain has a pistol of her own holstered in a back pocket, though it hasn't been used for years.[/quote]
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>By Miguel Navrot
Journal Staff Writer
The deadlocked water battle that has raged for two decades in Santa Fe's historical Guadalupe Neighborhood will soon bow to current sensitivities. Next week, the statue called "The Children's Fountain of Santa Fe" in West De Vargas Park will be disarmed.
After a year of thinking about it, area artist Linda Strong has decided to hack off the water pistol that the bronze version of her son uses in an eternal water fight with his sister.
As a replacement for the water gun, the boy will get a bronze hose.
"Why fight it?" Strong asked of the vandalism, critical letters to the editor and other complaints inspired in recent years by the toy gun in her playful statue, which has become a familiar Downtown landmark since it was installed in 1979.
The fountain depicts two children, Strong's son and daughter, having a water fight. Her daughter Kare, who was 10 years old when the statue was cast, is equipped with a garden hose. Son Lars, 11 years old when immortalized in the fountain, wields a square-barrel squirt gun. He's also packing a slingshot in his back pocket.
When the fountain is operating, the two smiling figures blast water at each other in a spray of hydro-glory.
A generation of Santa Feans has grown up with the statue at the park, which also has featured various kinds of playground equipment through the years. The two bronze children provide company for picnickers, people looking for work at the nearby state Labor Department offices, dog walkers and skaters who use the park every day.
But in recent years, with increased attention to youth violence and what causes it, a number of local critics have come forward to condemn the statue's shooting water pistol, contending the gun sends a bad message to young people.
The criticism increased after last year's shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado.
"Of course, once that happened, people started seeing things differently," Greg Kuebli of the Santa Fe Arts Commission said. "It's a little heavy."
Complaints about the fountain water gun have been received at City Hall, Kuebli said. But he said a few calls and letters also have called for the statue to remain as is.
"Some people tell me, 'When we were kids, we all had squirt guns,' '' Kuebli said. He said he prohibits his own 3-year-old son from playing with toy guns.
The controversy over her piece has been difficult for Strong.
"It's gotten defaced. There have been, about a year ago, several very nasty letters to the editor about the violence that the gun portrayed," Strong said. "So, at first, I thought, 'God damn it! Those were different times.' ''
Intended as a tribute to playfulness, the statue was dedicated during the International Year of the Child, Strong said.
"I lost no sleep, but I was upset at the beginning," Strong said of the criticism. "Since then I've thought it would be OK to change."
Another matter had also been considered — Strong's name.
When she made the statue, her name was Linda Miner. Redoing the fountain statue now would give her a chance to put her current name on the piece.
Also, she said changing the fountain may help clear up a misconception — that another area artist, Glenna Goodacre, made the fountain.
Removing the gun won't be as easy as, say, taking away a toy from a misbehaving child.
The bronze boy's entire right hand is going to have to be severed and removed. A new hand holding a metal hose has been fashioned, and Strong will have to attach that to Lars' amputated bronze arm, taking care that the piping that carries water through the fountain doesn't leak afterward.
"I don't know how we're going to do it," Strong said of the metallic surgery, which is scheduled for noon Thursday. "There's that copper pipe in there. It's going to be kind of goofy to do."
The city and Strong's family have donated money to cover the work. Strong said she'll cover some of the expenses personally.
Not everyone is thrilled about the weapon overhaul.
"Who cares what some people might think?" asked Chris Garcia, a 14-year-old Santa Fean who skateboards at the park several times a week. "It's kind of hard to explain. It's our history, but at the same time, most people don't ever pay attention to it."
Eve LaFountain, who strolled by the park Friday afternoon to see the fountain in its dry state, questioned if the change will have much effect.
"I don't think it's going to stop someone from going out and shooting people," the 15-year-old city native said, adding that she preferred the water pistol. "I think it's kind of cute. I don't like hoses."
Arianna Trott, also 15 and a friend of Eve's, argued the fountain itself hasn't caused trouble.
"I've grown up with this statue my whole life," Arianna said. "It's part of Santa Fe. If it's been here this long, I don't think people are going to start having problems with it."
As for the soon-to-be replaced pistol-clasping hand, Strong said she's holding on to it.
"Absolutely," she said. "I think I should mount it on something."
The undertaking won't do away with every gun in the piece, however.
The version of Strong's daughter in the fountain has a pistol of her own holstered in a back pocket, though it hasn't been used for years.[/quote]
Thank you very much 
