NORTH OGDEN -- Sitting by the driveway of a corner house is a statue of a maiden holding a plate. Her skin has a shiny yellowish hue, while her hair, arm bands and necklace are gold. A golden cloth is draped around her waist, leaving the rest of her flesh-colored body bare.
Tonka trucks, bicycles and trampolines signal there are numerous children in the neighborhood.
And that's what has neighbors concerned about the half-nude statue, that children can easily see it on their way to school.
North Ogden City Manager Ed Dickie said a few residents have expressed concern, asking if the statue can be removed. They approached the North Ogden City Council to say it is inappropriate in a neighborhood with many elementary school-age children passing by the statue every day.
To address their concerns, the council enlisted the city attorney to draft a letter, made some calls and visited the owner of the home where the statue sits to ask him to remove the statue from its current location.
The statue stayed.
The city's involvement ends there, with Dickie having no plans to pursue the issue any further.
"The city doesn't want to get too involved in the issue," Dickie said. "We really don't have the right to have him remove anything from his yard."
A neighbor who called the Standard-Examiner to complain about the statue would not allow her name to be used in a news story, saying she feared possible repercussions.
"Nothing is happening. He's not doing anything about it," the woman said. "It's lewd and there's so many little children under 8."
The owner of the statue said he had no comment when contacted by the Standard-Examiner, other than asking why the issue rated a newspaper story. He said he has contacted a lawyer to protect his interests.
Dickie said the city would like the neighbors to sit down and work out the issue themselves.
"We would like him just to get with them and try to work it out," Dickie said.
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