Concert on Thursday to support re-creation of Opechee Park sculpture

LACONIA — The replacement for the deteriorating American Indian sculpture in Opechee Park won’t be ready for the Fourth of July, as originally planned, but it probably won’t be too far later.

That’s according to Mike Smith, president of the Winnipesaukee Muskrats. The New England Collegiate Baseball League Team, which will host its first home game of the season on June 16, is underwriting the cost of an effort to create a 3D printed exact replica of the wooden sculpture.

Want to help out while enjoying an evening of music? On Wednesday, June 5, Pitman’s Freight Room in Laconia will be hosting two barbershop choruses, the Lakes Region Chordsmen and the Seacoast Men of Harmony, for a fundraising concert. The show starts at 7 p.m., admission is by donation, and every dollar raised will go toward the effort.

The 36-foot-tall sculpture, which weighs 12 tons, was carved out of red oak by artist Peter Toth and installed near the Opechee Park running track 35 years ago.

But the years weren’t kind to the sculpture, which has become one of the city’s iconic landmarks. Last winter, the city announced that the piece of art, known as “The Defiant One,” would have to be disassembled and removed. Then this spring, the Muskrats announced that they would spearhead a $15,000 effort to have the carving scanned with a laser, then recreated in a fiber filament material that will far exceed the lifespan of wood. The scanning has been done, and Smith said the team is going over bids from printing companies that want to do the job.

“In the meantime, we’re digging into the transportation costs,” Smith said. “The whole turnaround of the printing is fairly quick – our goal is to have it done in the heat of the summer.”

A gofundme campaign has raised about $2,000, and he said the team has received about $1,000 in additional donations. In addition to the barbershop concert on Wednesday, Smith said he has been told that the local VFW post will be hosting a fundraising dinner.

Smith appreciates the community support, he said, but he doesn’t expect the fundraising to cover all of the cost.

“My guess is that I’m going to be dipping into our pockets at the Muskrats group, but we want to be giving back to the city, we’re prepared to do that,” he said.

There might be a chance that some of the original sculpture could live a new life, he said. He’s been in talks with Lou Ledoux, owner of the Axis Bat Company of Fall River, Massachusetts, who thinks that some of the wood could be salvaged and made into commemorative baseball bats.

In the meantime, he’s been encouraged to hear of community support for the project, such as the barbershop concert.

“That’s awesome. I’m hoping to get up there and hear some great music, and I always love going down to Pitman’s,” Smith said.