Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2008

Mysterious 3rd sculpture appears on Grand Strand

The Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce had a sand sculpture built Monday night to squeeze one last drop from the deluge of publicity its presidential sand sculptures brought to town.

Although it bore a striking resemblance to one-time presidential hopeful, Comedy Central personality and Charleston native Stephen Colbert, those in the know were sworn to silence about the sculpture, including whether or when it will be shown on a cable TV network.

"I'm supposed to tell you I can neither confirm or deny the existence of said sculpture," said chamber President Brad Dean on Tuesday, about an hour after a Myrtle Beach fire crew demolished the sculpted face. "I hate to be evasive, but we've been asked to do that."

Myrtle Beach city officials, said they knew little about the project, including the city's fire department, which sent an engine to the private lot off Little River Road to hose down the face.

But Myrtle Beach City Manager Tom Leath called the use of a city firetruck in the event a service to Myrtle Beach because the production promotes the city.

Assistant Myrtle Beach fire Chief Daniel J. Cimini said the chamber asked the fire department earlier on Tuesday if it could send a crew to the scene and fire department Chief Alvin Payne approved it.

Leath said he learned about it after a 2 p.m. City Council meeting. He said the involvement of a city fire crew Tuesday was on par with a crew appearing in a parade or visiting a school on a public education campaign.

He said city fire crews were also on scene at the Democratic and Republican sculpture sites and they "don't stand by. They're called in to lend a hand in some form or fashion," then leave.

If an emergency would have required the truck at the sculpture, it would have left the scene in a heartbeat, Leath said.

"This presented no public safety issue. Public safety wasn't compromised at all," Leath said. "If a call would have come in that needed that truck, they would have dropped the hose and gone to the call."

He said the city is always eager to help the chamber garner publicity.

"It's what we're all about - publicity, tourism," Leath said. "The city is a service operation and I consider that a service to the people of this city."

As far as the sculpture itself is concerned, people will just have to wait until it's shown on cable TV.

But lips are also sealed about when that's going to happen.

"The Colbert Report" associate Aaron Cohen said even he's been kept in the dark about many of the stunt's details.

Cohen deferred any further questions to a Comedy Central Network spokesperson, who did not return an e-mail requesting comment late Tuesday.

All the chamber's Dean would offer was that the mysterious sculpture, its eventual hosing and the camera crew surrounding it was "an innovative way to attract attention to the city."

"It wasn't something that was originally planned, but the attention and the coverage that the sand sculptures received far exceeded our expectations," Dean said. "So now that the debates are over, we're seeking one last way to draw attention to Myrtle Beach."

He admitted Tuesday's publicity stunt will likely be the last sand-sculpture-related production the city will undertake for some time.

"I think for us, we've maxed out our ability to draw attention with sand sculptures," he said.