HAMILTON — A turtle tour of Hamilton shows off popular sites and businesses, and introduces artistically inclined residents.
Twenty colorful, diverse turtle cutouts paint the town, from Hamilton Town Hall on the south side to Acapulco Mexican Grill on the north.
This is the third year for the summer feature, which started with fish. Each year, metal forms are donated by Triton Metal Products and coated by AZZ Galvanizing. Then they are distributed by the Hamilton Park Authority to townsfolk for decorating.
Phyllis Weaver, a volunteer who serves on the park board, heads the effort, assisted this year by Claudia Miller. The turtles will be on display through the summer and then auctioned at the summer festival on Aug. 26 at 7 p.m., with the funds raised going for children’s programs at Gnagy Park.
This year, there are week-long youth camps throughout the months of June and July for various age groups. Activities include tennis, volleyball and swimming at the beach. This year, three weeks of swimming lessons were offered due to their popularity, said Weaver, who can relay where each turtle is, who painted it and a little story about the significance of each.
“She is an amazing volunteer,” said Miller. “Very happy, very upbeat — just a very sweet lady.”
Weaver helps out throughout the year, and is already pondering next year’s potential painting project.
Since turtles were the theme this year, one of them was given to the city of Churubusco to decorate.
“Since Churubusco is Turtle Town, we asked them if they wanted to do a turtle,” said Weaver. The Churubusco turtle is in town hall.
Outside town hall is DeKalb Central art teacher Amy Buchs’ creation. Buchs chose a Hamilton historical piece, harking to 1967 when the band The Turtles played at Cold Springs Resort.
Donald Johnson also chose a historical theme — recalling a covered bridge that once spanned a river 2 1/2 miles east of Hamilton. The Houlton Bridge was built in 1884, 105 feet long and 12 feet wide, and was destroyed by fire on May 14, 1963. Johnson, whose wife Leora also painted a turtle that is on display at Roger’s Harvest House, did the research and provided the facts on his painting.
Another artist used words as well. Brittany Bacon’s sparkly turtle, displayed at the ice cream shop, has a Dr. Seuss quote on one side: “And the turtles, of course … all the turtles are free, as turtles and, maybe, all creatures should be.”
A Hamilton High School group did a turtle, as did a collaboration of Hamilton Middle School fifth graders.
The paintings of Randy Grimes, a summer resident from Columbia City, always fetch a big sum, said Weaver. This year, his piece features bright colors and texture on one side and lily pads in the water on the other with the words “Hamilton Lake.”
Some new painters got involved this year, including long-time native Delos Penland. Weaver said some people requested inclusion in the project; others were recruited.
Weaver and Miller extolled the hard work that went into each unique masterpiece. They add a flair to the town during the busy tourism season then boost offerings for the town’s youth through the auction.