12/20/2005

Alaska Man Builds 16-Foot Snowzilla


ANCHORAGE, Alaska - With the help of his kids and neighbors, Billy Ray Powers built more than just a snowman — they've dubbed his 16-plus-foot-tall creation "Snowzilla."

After using up all the snow in the family's yard, they turned to neighbors' yards and carried buckets on sleds. They hand-packed the snowman like an ice-cream cone.

"It's solid ice," he said. "I put the arms in with my power drill."

It took a month to complete the project. It was too big to use buttons for its eyes, so Snowzilla gazes over the neighborhood from beer bottles.

Powers says the project took on a life of its own as it got bigger and bigger. Now Snowzilla is attracting plenty of sightseers.

"People stop by, and they're just flabbergasted," said neighbor Darrell Estes. "They walk up and knock on it to make sure it's real snow, not Styrofoam."

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