Santa Claus may disappear after this Christmas. (Dave Moore)

Dear Preservation 911,

Opponents of roadside vernacular architecture, chortling "Bah Humbug," appear to be sneaking up on yet another victory in Carpinteria, Calif., 10 miles south of Santa Barbara.

Carpinteria's 52-year-old 18-foot Santa is scheduled for oblivion on Jan. 23, 2003. After looming over a beverage stand for decades, the statue was removed in March 2002. Its owner has agreed to store it for a year while residents try to relocate it to another roadside site.

Aside from the fact that large numbers of us youngsters (ages 3 to 93) are steadfastly protective of Santa and seriously agitated at the prospect of a Santaless Carpinteria, it should be noted that Santa also has some serious architectural credentials.

He received flattering coverage, in picture and prose, in Jim Heiman's 1985 book, California Crazy, John Margolies' 1998 Fun Along the Road, and Charles Phoenix's 2001 Southern California in the '50s. Santa's impending demise was recently bemoaned in a Westway magazine article, "Land of the Giants." Finally, in terms of justifying Santa's significance, our local Kris Kringle spent a brief moment in makeup as the subject of a segment on the television channel Comedy Central.

In a single word, "Help!" Time is short. The local Pearl Chase Society's tireless efforts to find a new site for Santa have come up short. Any strategies, funding sources, ideas, etc., that you can direct our way would be most appreciated.

Thanks,

Sincerely,

Dave Moore
Carpinteria, CA
(805) 684-228

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