Post #37204 by SugarCaddyDaddy on Tue, Jun 3, 2003 8:52 PM

Here's some info as of today, June 3, 2003:

I head out at about 4 pm. I take a few snap shots of the now fenced in, abandoned and half-gutted Kona Lanes. You see it as I saw it today:

I look up and see Kona's last words:

Note the Kona Lanes sign that has been there almost 45 years, is now on the ground:

(You can't tell, but yes, a chain link fence is surrounding the whole lot.)

Not more that 4 or 5 minutes passes after I took these initial pictures, two guys in a pickup truck with a really small rented red trailer comes in followed by a guy in a tie driving a black BMW. The trailer is REALLY small in comparison to the sign, so I figured that no way are these guys going to try to lift this sign and get it into the 8 foot(?) trailer. So I walk over (while on the outside of the fence on the sidewalk), I pretend to take pictures of the remaining standing sign, and trying to hear what the conversation was about. I see the guy in the tie, or the "OK Guy", another guy (who I refer to as "A-hole" and his buddy "Dweeb"), as he sizes up the Kona sign on the ground and kicks it, like he's checking the tires or something! What? Yeah, he kicked it while the sign was down! I thought "what is that suppose to be for?". So I pipe up and say, "Excuuuuuuuuse me sir...what will happen to the Kona Lanes sign?" I direct this question to the "OK Guy", but the "A-hole" turns to me, points his finger and says "Hey, don't you worry 'bout it!", as the "Dweeb" nods in approval of "A-Holes" comment. I was kind of shocked! The "OK Guy" gives the "A-Hole" a funny look and says to me "the City of Costa Mesa is taking an interest in it". OK.....I don't get a good vibe from the "A-Hole" and thought 'oh what the hell', so I look at the "A-Hole" and say "HEY! EAT ME!", as I grab my crotch and shake my Pin & Gutterballs at him Joe Pesci/Robert DeNiro style. It's not like me to do that, but I think that I was pissed since he seemed to disrespect the Kona sign, not to mention the smart remark he gave me. The "OK Guy" laughs, and adds that he cannot comment any more on the sign. I then hear "DAMNIT!" as the "A-Hole" hurts his hand slightly as he attempts to try to lift one end of the sign, I assume to see how heavy it really is. I don't normally take pleasure in other people's pain, but in this instance, I do believe KONA got his/her shot in. :lol:

So to end this long story, I walk back to my car, still parked at the entrance of the fenced in lot. I hang out for a couple of minutes since I had to answer my cell phone, and out comes the "OK Guy" about 10 feet from me at the gates entrance. I hear him on his cell as he stands just feet from me and says to his office "yeah, the fence is up, but we still don't have the chain and lock here to secure the sign inside the fence".

Oh, if I only had a huge truck to snag that Kona sign!

Personally, I think that the A-Hole & Dweeb are just looking to make a buck either by selling the sign for scrap or as is for profit. If they were truly a sign company, they would not have pulled up with a pickup and a rented undersized trailer.

I don't have much else to add. I'll stop by again soon, and will comment only if I see/hear anything different.

Sorry for the long read, but I wanted to be as thorough as possible.

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[ Edited by: sugarcaddydaddy on 2003-06-03 21:01 ]