Gnome Man’s Land

Amidst the headlines of the Sunday Los Angeles Times, which included stories of fatal car accidents, sex scandals in the Catholic church, and the murder of prostitutes in downtown LA, one article stood out against the gloom and tragedy of the city’s news to let a glimmer of positivity into the mornings of the paper’s readers. The article was about gnomes – anonymously painted gnomes screwed into telephone poles, to be more precise.

Citizens of Cleveland Heights in Oakland have noticed the friendly artwork for months now, with the latest estimated count being over 2,300 different gnome sightings.

Pacific Gas & Electric, whose telephone poles are among those outfitted with the mythical creatures, experienced an explosion of online dissent when the company announced that it would remove the artwork from its property. After an intense Twitter campaign (#savethegnomes), the electric company’s spokesperson Jason King calmed the swelling resistance.

“We’ve declared the poles ‘gnome man’s land,’” he said.

In a metropolis that could certainly use a little cheer, residents of Cleveland Heights hope the gnomes will continue to brighten the day of sidewalk travelers.

 Will Beaton is a Freshman majoring in English and Linguistics.