Imagine driving along Highway 50 and seeing a 20-foot statue of two dancing bears in the vicinity of Pollock Pines. The roadside sculpture is the vision of CEDAPP (Community Economic Development Association Pollock Pines) as a means of drawing attention to Pollock Pines and what it has to offer visitors.

Jeanne Harper, executive director, and Derrill Roberts, chief financial officer of CEDAPP, shared this vision along with a bevy of other projects and events the organization is working on to help promote the area.

Getting the attention of travelers driving through our corridor from Sacramento to South Lake Tahoe is crucial for the prosperity of our foothill communities. The dancing bear concept reminded me of the enormous statue of the kneeling prospector panning for gold in Auburn. The statue is strategically located along Interstate 80 and really grabs your attention. Its immense size alone makes one curious about life beyond it — in historical downtown Auburn.

The same curiosity holds true somewhat for those seeing the red Southern Pacific caboose at the western entrance of Placerville. Of course the average traveler doesn’t have a clue why this railroad car is located there, but it’s a visual that has potential for enticing tourists into our own historical downtown.

A statue of 20-foot tall bears is sure to cause a stir if erected along the busy highway and the idea of such a marketing ploy appealed to this lunch guest. When I heard about the giant dancing bears I was reminded of another giant that caused quite a commotion in Cardiff, N.Y., back in 1869. It was there that a cigar manufacturer and confirmed atheist named George Hull buried a stone sculpture of what became known as the petrified remains of the Cardiff Giant.

Hull conceived his idea after a heated argument with a fundamentalist minister about passages in Genesis 6:4. In particular was the reference of “giants in the earth” that Hull disputed.

In what would become the greatest hoax of the time, Hull purchased a block of gypsum from Fort Dodge, Iowa, and shipped it to Chicago where he hired a German sculptor to carve the image of a 10-foot man. Hull then washed the sculpture with sulfuric acid and pounded it with darning needles to reflect an aged image of a petrified man lying on his side.

It was completed in 1868 at a cost of $2,600 and shipped by rail to the farm of his cousin, William Newell in Cardiff, N.Y., where it was then secretly buried. In October 1869 Newell hired two workers to dig a well in the same vicinity of the buried statue. Upon making the discovery, one of them was reported saying, “I declare! Some old Indian has been buried here.”

Although the sculpture was denounced soon after the discovery, its authenticity was defended by Christian fundamentalists who along with thousands of curiosity seekers paid 50 cents to see the Cardiff Giant, as the petrified man was called, on display under a tent. Hull generated $30,000 for his giant hoax.

A bogus letter written to the Alta Californian newspaper in 1858 claimed a prospector had been petrified after drinking a liquid found within a geode. Other newspapers during that time also published stories of petrified people. It’s likely William Hull conjured up his “giant” idea after hearing these stories.

Big roadside visuals like the stone Auburn gold prospector can help lure visitors into their community. Business owners in Auburn will attest their giant helps stimulate interest in their small city.

So a 20-foot wood carving of two giant dancing bears symbolizing living and playing in Pollock Pines and welcoming potential visitors could be just the right marketing ploy.

Since its inception four years ago CEDAPP has addressed numerous needs as identified by Pollock Pines community businesses. Their list of accomplishments includes everything from introducing new community-wide events and beautification projects to initiating a new Visitors Center. Their community calendar for 2011 is loaded with exciting events to enjoy.

Jeanne’s passion for the Highway 50 Monument Bear statue rivals her passion and love for Pollock Pines. Currently the slogan on CEDAPP’s stationery reads, “There’s Gold in Them Thar Hills!” With the energy and dedication CEDAPP generates they might want to reword that slogan to read, “There’s more to love in Pollock Pines than just the average bear!”