The Glarfs are back where they belong.
The popular landmarks that look like colorful dinosaurs were damaged and worn down over the years, but community members in Bonita pooled their resources, hired a sculptor to repair and reinforce the two Glarfs and have returned them to their original positions along Bonita Road.
“A Glarf is a dwarf dinosaur, according to Jerry Gauss, the 15-year-old boy genius who built them,” explained Bonita resident Max Branscomb, who helped spearhead the restoration project.
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Gauss built the first Glarf in 1959. He died in a car accident a few years later and never saw them become the landmarks they are today.
“Kids climb on them, and homecoming princesses have their pictures taken with them,” said a smiling Branscomb. “I came here one day, and the toes and chunks of the feet were all over the parking lot. It was a bummer.”
The two statues, which were removed in July, were moved back Friday morning with fanfare and cameras rolling.
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“It makes me feel really happy,” beamed eighth-grader Syara Platero. “A new generation can see the Glarfs.”
“We have about 10,000 cars every day pass by them on Bonita Road,” concluded Branscomb. “I think they're going to last a long time. They lasted about 60 years without our help.”
Branscomb estimated the repairs likely added at least 75 more years to the Glarfs’ lives.
