HOLLAND, MI (WHTC-AM/FM) – Just before the start of Holland’s annual signature event, one of its newest attractions should be back where it belongs.
According to Holland Department of Public Safety Captain Bob Buursma, a Tulip Time Festival staffer on Thursday morning noticed that two pairs of decorated, oversized wooden shoes that were part of the “Klompen Garden” art competition had been taken from their moored position at Centennial Park and promptly notified police. The shoes were apparently anchored solidly to the ground, and that it would take some force to remove them from their spots.
“It didn’t take long for the information to start spreading around,” Buursma said during a Friday appearance on “WHTC Talk of the Town,” “and we started getting some tips, with photos that had been seen on social media with kids standing with themselves in the shoes.
“We turned that over to one of the night shift officers last night to try and figure out who these kids were in the photos. It didn’t take long to figure that out and track them down.
“The officers found that they shoes were at a neighbor’s house, went next door and they were cooperative in saying, ‘Yeah, we got them.’ So we were able to recover them and they were undamaged.”
In a statement, Simone Weithers of the Tulip Time staff said that, “The pieces were not damaged beyond repair. After some touchups by the artists, the Klompen will be returned to Centennial Park.
“Tulip Time is grateful for Holland PD and our community’s support in helping return the artwork so soon.”
“Bloem Kus,” by Claire Miller, and “Klompen van Delftware,” by Heidi Weller, are part of this new “people’s choice” competition that began on Wednesday and runs through May 11th, with the winner to be announced on May 12th. Similar to the poster contest, Lisa Schulist’s “In Full Bloom” had earned the top thousand-dollar prize in juried competition.
Buursma didn’t disclose any information as to the identity of those who took these pieces of art, saying that it is up to Festival officials, as the victims of this incident, to decide if any criminal action would be taken.
