Snowzilla: Friend or Foe?

A giant snowman has again appeared overnight in an Anchorage man's yard, despite the city's cease-and-desist order.

"For the last three years, Snowzilla — to the delight of some and the chagrin of others — has been a very large feature in [Billy] Powers' yard," reports the AP.  "In 2005, Snowzilla rose 16 feet. He had a corncob pipe and a carrot nose and two eyes made out of beer bottles. This year, Snowzilla is estimated to be 25 feet tall. He's wearing a black stovepipe hat and scarf."

When reached by reporters, Powers said: "Have you seen him?  He's handsome."

Powers claims he does not know who makes Snowzilla, only that he has appeared overnight.  Uh huh.  "Snowzilla has consistently risen outside Powers' modest home," adds the AP.  "His children — he is the father of seven — collected snow from neighbors' yards to make the snowman big enough [in 2005]. Each year, Snowzilla got a bit bigger."

The Mayor of Anchorage isn't happy.  "This property owner has repeatedly ignored city attempts to find ways to accommodate his desire to build a giant snowman without affecting the quiet, residential quality of the neighborhood," a statement from Mayor Mark Begich's office read. "This is a neighborhood of small homes on small lots connected by small streets. It can't support the volume of traffic and revelers that are interested in Snowzilla."