Back in 1976 or '77, David Wicks, Jr. of Wicks Farm & Garden on Long Island erected a giant witch as a Halloween decoration in the town of St. James. But he didn't take the 35-foot tall statue down after the holiday, and in fact the witch just stayed in place for decades, becoming a local landmark named Winnie the Witch. Winnie was made out of metal canvas, and scrap lumber, and turned out to be pretty durable, if ugly. But locals loved her.
Then came hurricane Sandy in 2012, which left Winnie in sad disrepair and hastened her deterioration. Her head began to sag, her hat fell off, and Winnie looked like she was destined for the scrap heap. But in 2021, Victoria Johnston and her boyfriend Kenny Maher vowed to save the statue, and got the community of St. James to join in. They raised $15,000 for the project!
Winnie's makeover was completed just in time for an unveiling on October 31st, 2023. The witch has been made stronger than ever, and will loom over the community for years to come. -via Boing Boing