Disneyland woodcarver adds another story: Last month, the Argus-Courier ran a story about Ray Kinman, the one-time Petaluman whose masterful woodcarvings grace a number of Disneyland attractions. Those include the whimsical Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh ride. Not surprisingly, Kinman’s story got a lot of local folk’s attention, many of whom wanted to know more. Last week, Kinman went on the local Facebook page “I Love Petaluma!” to reveal what he calls “a super-secret woodcarving trick.”
It turns out that the whiskers on the wooden face of Tigger the tiger came not from his woodshop, but from his bedroom closet.
“Tigger’s whiskers,” Kinman says, “are made out of a wire coat hanger.” It’s true. He carved the large mahogany sign in 2004, creating detailed depictions of iconic Winnie the Pook characters. “When it came time to carve Tigger’s face, I was baffled,” Kinman says. “Wooden whiskers wouldn’t last an hour before they would break off.”
While trying to think of a solution, and finding himself thinking out loud, he muttered, “Maybe I can rotate the angle of his head so I can get some more support behind the whiskers? Then my 9-year-old son suggested the coat hanger idea.”
His response?
“Well, duh.”
Those wire whiskers remain in place to this day. Nice trick.
East Washington Place hosts St. Patrick’s Giveaway: Beginning Friday, February 26, 2021, Petaluma’s East Washington Place (www.eastwashingtonplace.com), will offer its shoppers a pot-of-gold-under-the-rainbow opportunity: a chance to win $200 worth of gift cards from participating stores and restaurants. The contest is open to shoppers18 and older, and runs through March 12th. One lucky winner will be randomly selected on March 15th. Entering is free and easy; to learn more or to enter the contest, visit www.eastwashingtonplace.com.
Petaluma “dive bars” get a mention in British writer’s travel book: It recently came to our attention that a 2018 nonfiction book titled “Not Tonight Josephine,” by British writer George Mahood, contains a section — about midway through the story — in which the two main characters visit Petaluma over a Christmas holiday. At one point they visit a number of Petaluma’s historic downtown “dive bars.” Josephine, by the way, is the name given to an unreliable minivan the adventurers purchase for their drive across America. While in Petaluma, staying at the ranch home of Mahood’s uncle, the author describes working on the property, recruiting day laborers from in front of the 7-11, visiting the landfill to dump broken concrete, and the one boozy night they visit Andresen’s, Gale’s Central Club, The Hide-Away and the long-gone Kodiak Jack’s. The book can be found on line, and probably can be ordered from local bookstores. We won’t spoil how that high-octane night turns out, or how Josephine figures into it.
(Have an idea for a good BUZZ item? Drop a line to Community Editor David Templeton at david.templeton@arguscourier.com)