LODI, Calif. — An iconic, golden figure has returned to the streets of Lodi.
After nearly two months of refurbishing work, crews returned a golden bear to its home atop Lodi's Mission Arch on Pine Street Wednesday.
"Archie," as the bear is known, spent much of its summer hibernation inside Tony Segale's Lodi art gallery.
Segale and Arie Bonsclaar, owner of Cherokee Auto Body, were tasked with refurbishing the nearly 500-pound bear. For the two Lodi entrepreneurs, the project was a trip down memory lane.
In 2001, Segale and Bonsclaar bore the responsibility of restoring the bear, which sat untouched since a remodel in 1956.
"It was originally made out of wood, chicken wire and plaster," said Segale of the 2001 repairs. "When they took it down, even the legs were crumbling a little bit."
This time, when "Archie" was removed for refurbishing in July, the bear was in much better condition.
"Gold will stand up to dirt and rain as far as corrosion, but over 22 years with torrential downpours or hail storms and dirt on it, you never know what kind of water abrasion it has gotten," said Segale. "It was starting to get thin on the very top of the bear and gold was starting to fade away, so it was time to re-gild it again."
After pressure washing the piece of Lodi history, Segale quickly noticed that the baseboard he and Bonsclaar created decades ago had begun to erode.
Bonsclaar crafted a new, thicker baseboard and applied primer, fiberglass and paint to the bear. He then returned it to Segale's shop for its golden finish.
"It's even better than it was 22 years ago," said Segale. "I didn't rush it, took my time with the process to put the gold on."
Nearly $6,500 worth of gold leaf and other materials later, the bear was ready to be hoisted back home Wednesday. According to Segale, the gold should last 20 to 40 years before more refurbishing is needed.
"It's a historical pride piece — a monument — that people recognize when they come into town and so many people come from out of town to visit and take their picture in front of that bear," said Segale. "I never really took it upon myself to do it as something that's personally a grand display type of thing as much as it is protecting a historical artifact, but then seeing the responses from people, that's fabulous."
Much of the reaction comes from longtime residents and business owners, whose families have seen the bear for generations.
According to city records, the bear first appeared in papier-mache on the arch, facing south toward Stockton around 1910. In the 1940s, the bear was rebuilt and eventually turned north to face Sacramento.
"To me, that bear is all about Lodi," said Segale. "I'm just happy that I am a part of that and hopefully it can sparkle longer and people will appreciate the bear in Lodi."
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