Disgusted with vandals thrashing the beloved Los Osos bear sculpture

I think I might run out of expletives before I satisfy my anger at whoever knocked the nose off the bear statue on South Bay Boulevard.

This is the second act of vandalism at Los Osos’ iconic sculpture in a matter of weeks, but it’s far more offensive because of the damage done to the artwork itself.

In January, a solar panel was stolen, extinguishing the light that illuminates the community’s gateway sculpture.

In the most recent crime, the control panel was also smashed.

To accomplish this, some one or more degenerates snuck in under the cover of darkness armed with tools, a baseball bat, a sledgehammer … what?

They took a swing at the bear’s face and another at the electronics, probably guffawed at their derring-do and disappeared into the night.

I can’t see why a right-minded person would ever do such a thing to a sculpture that is the pride and joy of the community, so I’m going to guess they were drunk or high or both.

That’s probably the best-case scenario. Worst case is someone did this without the emboldening influence of several beers.

If that’s the case, it’s even more disturbing and reminds me of the idiots who dislodged that giant balancing boulder from its perch east of Santa Margarita a few years ago — just because it would be fun to watch a big rock roll down a hill.

Or that selfish woman who was running around last year tagging the unspoiled wilderness of our national parks with her lousy artwork.

These people just do things because they can, and they have no regard for how their vandalism affects others.

Los Osos’ “Greeting Bears” were created by Santa Fe artist Paula Zima in 1992. A few years earlier, Zima cast the much-loved bronze bear and child sculpture that adorns the Mission Plaza fountain in San Luis Obispo.

I emailed Zima to ask her how the bear might be fixed, and she reminded me of a similar act of vandalism that occurred in 1995. The South Bay Boulevard bear had only occupied its spot for three years when someone battered its face and knocked off its snout.

Unfortunately, Zima said it is very difficult to repair damage like this. It would require the work of a skilled concrete craftsman, who might be able to recast the nose from the original mold and attempt to seamlessly bond it to the bear’s face.

Even if that were possible, however, she said the area would always be weaken

“When the bear was damaged previously, we ended up recasting, and reinstalling the entire bear,” she said. “It required the work and donations of a lot of people to replace it, but it was done, and we were all happy with the results.”

Very likely, restoring the bear to its original state will once again take that kind of effort.

Zima said she believes the Los Osos Chamber of Commerce owns the molds for the bears and could recast the sculpture. She also offered to help repaint the bear.

Meanwhile, an anonymous donor has offered $1,000 for information leading to those responsible for the crime.

If anyone can help identify the perpetrators, please contact the Sheriff’s Office so that the full bill for the repair can be properly delivered to them along with their arrest warrants.

Those who might be able to donate materials or services to help restore the bear could contact the chamber at info@lobpchamber.org or Celebrate Los Osos, which helps maintain the sculpture, at info@celebratelososos.org.

The handsome bear along South Bay Boulevard is a symbol of the community of Los Osos and its history. Here’s hoping it can be restored to its original beauty and the vandals brought to justice, both in equally short order.

This story was originally published February 28, 2015 at 7:25 PM with the headline "Disgusted with vandals thrashing the beloved Los Osos bear sculpture."