TURF WARS!!
As the photo below shows, the City of Albany is apparently trying to establish property rights to the site of the ill-fated piggyback statue. According to our team of pro bono attorneys, if the Albany Unified School District does not remove the barricade, the City could prevail on an antiquated legal theory known as 'squatters' rights'. Why the city wants this land is not clear, but it does have a history of coveting the property of others, e.g. Golden Gate Fields. (See more below)
Motorist: “I thought this was School District property!?”
AC: It may still be. But the School District needs to act fast or it will lose it.
Motorist: “Maybe that’s not a real city barricade.”
AC: Unlikely. It has the requisite graffiti on it to be absolutely genuine.
Motorist: “If I trip over the base, who do I sue?”
AC: The City of Albany, of course. Even if the property may still technically belong to the School District, by placing the barricade, the City of Albany has assumed responsibility for your safety and is fully liable in the event of an accident. Any good lawyer will tell you that.
Despite the lingering issues noted above, everyone agrees that now is a time for healing in the world of Albany public art. Albany Central contacted several people active in the business of beautifying our city, and all expressed sadness at the series of misadventures that finally overwhelmed the Key Route statue. They hope for better luck with future art projects, and urge everyone to work together. But one connoisseur had a truly intriguing proposal:
“Albany suffers from a lack a statuary commemorating the city’s heroes. For example, we have no figures on horseback to look up to. We need to do more in this regard, with monuments featuring people that the citizens of Albany can recognize and admire, and that the school kids will respect. But, you know, I also found the image of the piggy-backing children to be utterly charming. So my proposal for the next art project would be this: retain the piggy-backing theme, but this time have the figures represent the Mayor of Albany piggy-backing over Norman LaForce. Or maybe the other way around. Either way would be fine.”
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