Light Gauge stories from Americas

Light Gauge stories from Americas

Ever wondered what the Pittsburgh Steelers three-star logo represents? Well neither have we. But the familiar symbol of the Steel City team actually has quite an interesting history. The three four-pointed starlike figures within a circle (the geometric term is hypocycloids) were originally adopted by the Steelers in 1962, based on the Steelmark logo which belongs to the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI). But the Steelmark's history goes back even further - it was originally created by US Steel to promote the attributes of steel: yellow lightens your work; orange brightens your leisure; and blue widens your world. Since that didn't really make any sense, the logo's meaning was later changed to represent the three materials used to produce steel: yellow for coal; orange for iron ore; and blue for steel scrap. The Steelers had to petition AISI to change the word "Steel" inside the Steelmark to "Steelers." AISI granted permission, the Steelers started wearing the logo on their football helmets, and the rest is history. For more information, visit AISI's website, www.steel.org. Can you speak Iron Range? The Iron Range is an area in Minnesota known mostly for its iron ore production, but it is also famous for the peculiar accent its residents share. Some examples of Iron Range English: "buzz" is often pronounced as "bus" and "sink is pronounced as "sing." Recently, a young linguist from Wisconsin (a state which one might note has it's own distinctive accent) named Matthew Bauer traveled to the Range to write a dissertation on the Iron Range accent, which had been studied before by a couple of linguists, but never quite pinned down. Bauer learned from his research, which involved extensive interviews with the Range's older citizens, that Iron Rangers tend to make tightly clenched consonant sounds, especially at the points that mark boundaries in natural rhythm and melodies of speech. He didn't, however, find that the accent is as pronounced as stereotypes make it out to be, he said. "This is something subtle," he said. Manhole cover bandits invade Indianapolis The high price of steel is leading to some mighty unusual crimes in Indianapolis, Indiana. In the past few days, thieves in the city have been leaving gaping holes throughout the city streets after making off with dozens of hefty manhole covers and sewer grates. "This is a severe public safety hazard we have here - these manholes range in depth from 4 feet to 30 feet deep," said city Department of Public Works spokesperson Margie Smith-Simmons. Local officials believe the thieves are trading in the manhole covers as scrap steel, ranging from $70 - $300 for one net ton. Replacing the manholes is costing the city a pretty penny - up to $300 - $2000 for one manhole cover. Steelworker also a craftsman Vietnam vet John Dougherty creates steel components which he sells to companies for industrial use. But he is also an artist. Mr. Dougherty, owner of Southwestern Ironworks, also creates decorative chairs, benches, grills, and even large sculptures out of milled steel, such as a large . The metalworker/artist has been experiencing a greater demand for his products lately and says he gets most of his non-commercial work from word-of mouth. Although commercial metalwork takes up a bigger portion of his time, Mr. Dougherty says, "I consider myself an artisan with a metal fabricating background," he said. To see examples of Dougherty's work, visit southwesternironworks.com.