Light Gauge news from the Americas

Giant recycling monster unveiled in Georgia Residents in Gwinnet County, Georgia will no longer have to separate their recyclables, thanks to a two-story, $250,000 machine unveiled Wednesday by Gwinnet Clean & Beautiful. Representatives from the steel, glass, and plastics industries were present for the unveiling of the machine. At the ceremony, the giant trash-eater was fed a river of recyclables, from pizza boxes and magazines to wine bottles and beer cans, from which it was able to spit out neatly separated piles of recyclables. Bill Heenan of the Steel Recycling Institute said of the machine, “When I look at that, I see something that is replacing an open-pit ore mine. You're mining the recyclables instead of mining ore.” The sorting machine has replaced the county inmates who had been in charge of sorting the county's recyclables before the machine took over this week. Abe Lincoln made into steel blob In a park near the Illinois and Michigan Canal Lock 14 in La Salle, Illinois Tuesday, workers began erecting the 1849 canal boat replica that includes thirteen steel silhouettes of historical figures, representing people who would have ridden a similar boat down the canal in the 1800's. Once the exhibit is completed, tourists will be able to read about the past passengers as they prepare to board the replica boat. The 500-pound silhouettes, created by Joliet steel artist Marsha Lega stationed by concrete will include past canal passengers such as Abraham Lincoln and Family, Potawatomi chief Shabbona, Clara and Lydia Matteson. Ms. Lega said she made the likenesses out of steel that rusts when exposed to the elements to give them an industrial look. She also paid special attention to make sure that they appeared to be wearing appropriate period clothing. The figures might not be exact historical representations of the historical figures they represent, but, as La Salle's Canal Corridor Assotiation president Ana Koval says, “It's kind of hard to get a silhouette that doesn't look like a blob.” Bored millionaire hangs 1974 Lamborghini on living room wall Homeowner Richard Moriarty took interior decorating to the next level this week when he bolted a 1974 Lamborghini to the wall of his Newport Beach estate Friday. Mr. Moriarty, an heir to the family that developed the South Coast Plaza shopping mall, had to hire a 70-ton crane to lower the car through a skylight in his living room. The car was then hung from a steel-reinforced wall with loops of half-inch-thick steel cable. “This was one of the original ideas for the house,” architect Fleetwood Joiner said. “The skylight was designed to fit the car.'' The car will hang over a solid glass staircase leading to Moriarty's wine cellar. The car also will plug into the home's electrical system so its inside lights can be switched on. Earlier, the car's engine was removed and transformed into a coffee table for guests who like their drinks “shaken, not stirred” (Moriarty's words, not mine). However, Moriarty is still not satisfied. “I want to stencil some tire marks on the wall,'' he said. “Seriously.'' Pacific Steel gets nifty new logo Great Falls, Montana-based scrap recycler Pacific Steel is planning to unveil a new project that will take the company to the next level – a new logo. The company believes the new logo will position Pacific as the industry leader in scrap recycling. The logo will feature a big “P” as the central point, said logo designer Joe Stein. “Because it's so large, it signifies Pacific's strength and that it's a very solid company,” Stein said. The arrows surrounding the letter imply that the company is moving ahead and they also look sort of like the circular arrows used in recycling symbols. The orange and green colors are intended to give an “environmentally friendly feel.” Pacific plans to convert signs and other marketing materials to the new logo over the next 12 to 18 months.