Frowns of concern over missing Smiling Windmill

SIMON EDWARDS

Saturday's gusts were too strong for one of the three spinning heads on the 'Smiling Windmills' sculpture at Avalon Park.  The metal turbine was blown right off its post.

Hutt City Council's manager of horticultural assets, Judy Robb, says a contractor who maintains and inspects the Leon van den Eijkel sculpture checked that everything was fine on Saturday.  But he was horrified when he drove past on Sunday morning to find one of the colourful spinning heads was gone.

What's worse, he couldn't find it on the grassy bank underneath or across the road and fretted that someone had made off with it. 

Fortunately, council Parks & Garden contractors had found it and put it in storage.

''It looked as if it had been sawn off,'' Mrs Robb said.

''However, at this stage we're thinking it was natural causes.  It certainly was strong wind.''

A couple of the blades will need minor repairs.

''We're looking at some clever engineering before we put it back up in a week or two, perhaps retrofitting a swivel to cope with funny direction of winds or some other method to take the tension off.''

Mrs Robb said the E te Awakairainga Public Art Trust sculpture, installed in 2008, is very popular with locals and visitors.

''We've got to keep the smiles going.''

- Hutt News