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By Greg Keller

What color would you like the Links statue to be? Facilities and Maintenance painters  Bob Cadek and Steve Buresh patched and smoothed the surface of the iconic LHS landmark on Monday, Sept. 29, 2014 in preparation for a new coat of paint, and it got the attention of LHS staff members who started making suggestions via email about what color it should be. The range of ideas was typical of everything at LHS – diverse – and included everything from red, red and black, to bronze, shiny silver, and jewel-encrusted solid gold.

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“When I was a little girl (early seventies), I can remember driving by LHS with my mom (couldn’t figure out what they were), and they were a bronze color,” School Treasurer Kim Loth said. “I’m guessing that’s what they originally looked like, and would love to see them back that way.”

“I’ve been here 29 years…they have been a “bronzy” color since 1987,” Head Counselor Ann Brestel said.

“I vote that the Links are painted a shiny chrome color. Just imagine the hilarity that would ensue along Capitol Parkway as the sun glistens off of the Links in the morning,” Computing Services Tech Jeff Ritchey suggested.

English Department Chair Chris Maly came up with a unique twist that got quite a bit of support. “This is a little out of left field, but it could bronze by day and lit at night with colored gel lighting for school colors and special occasions (e.g. pink for cancer awareness).  If lit a certain way, it might project an interesting Link shadow on the building, too.  [It] could become a photo op and draw interest,” Maly added.

“I don’t know what the original significance of the bronze was, but…when I think of the words ‘links,’ I think of a silver chain,” Computer Tech Susan Haller said. “Can’t we order a new one cast in solid gold, jewel encrusted with rubies and onyx or black diamonds? We’re worth it, and we have a credit card,” Haller added.

What color will the statue ultimately be? “I have no idea,” Facilities and Maintenance painter Bob Cadek said. “We’ve been hearing it all as they [staff members] have come by,” Cadek said. “Honestly, we just don’t know what it will be.”

As they dabbed the statue with automotive bondo to repair the blemishes, Cadek noticed that there were several places exposed that showed the various color schemes that the Links has had over the years. “It’s been everything under the sun, if you look at all of the different places. It was white, it was copper, red, black with sparkles.”

Cadek ran his hand over the patched surface of the statue. “Here’s a big chip, and as you go down you start hitting the layers of all the stuff,” he noted. “Right here you can really see the copper with sparkles, and that one must have been black with sparkles. It’s pretty neat.”

The statue itself, which was a gift to the school from the class of 1970, is hollow and made of a metal frame covered in fiberglass. It was assembled in sections and apparently cemented to the base. Each link consists of eight separate pieces connected together.

The attached plaque reads, “TO THE SCHOOL OF LINCOLN HIGH THESE SCULPTURED LINKS FROM THE CLASS OF 1970 CREATED BY GEORGE ASIMOS ‘WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM HIS FRIENDS.’”

As for the final color this time around, we’ll have to wait and see.