Hunter Ice Festival carver Dan Rebholz of Chicago turned a dragon into a flamingo on Saturday. He was helped by Danielle Bloss, 12, of Niles, a Ring Lardner student and the daughter of Rebecca and Danny Bloss, another ice carver. Danielle was going to add a crab to the base of the sand sculpture. Down in front are at left, Robert Childers of Chicago and popular ice carver Jeff Stahl of Cincinnati, Ohio.( Daily Star photo/MARCIA STEFFENS)

By MARCIA STEFFENS
Niles Daily Star

Niles Main Street is in the pink – flamingos that is.

The newest promotion which began Saturday saw the transformation of a 20-ton sand sculptured dragon into a flamingo at the corner of Main and Second streets.

Hunter Ice Festival carvers Dan Rebholz of Chicago and Jeff Stahl of Cincinnati, Ohio came back to work in Niles again – this time in warm weather.

Rebholz may be remembered for his piano and butterfly. Stahl carved a Pegasus.
Robert Childers of Chicago also helped out and Danielle Bloss of Niles. She is the 12-year-old daughter of ice carver Danny Bloss.

In addition, throughout the downtown about 60 businesses are displaying 100 flamingos which have been dressed, painted and possibly dipped in chocolate.

Lisa Croteau, Niles Main Street executive director passed out the birds and has been collecting clues.

Participants will pick up game cards from area businesses and use the clue to find as many of the flamingos as they can.

The promotion will run up until the Four Flags Apple Festival in October.

Those who find all the birds on their card in this scavenger hunt will win $20 Downtown Dollars to be used at any of the Main Street businesses.

Also, two drawings will be held, one in August and one in September giving participants who’ve already won for their hunt a chance at winning $200 more of the specialty dollars.
Following the promotion, the birds will be herded on a special float for the Apple Festival parade and later put them up for sale.

Tom Rasler, Sales Agent, AAA Michigan, Downtown Niles offered to underwrite the cost of the birds.

The next promotion is Saturday, Aug. 15 when more than 100 Model ‘T’ Automobiles will be arriving in Niles around 10 a.m. and leave town around 2 p.m. Main Street will be reserved for the visiting Model ‘T’s. For more contact Croteau, at 687-4332 or nilesmainstreet@nilesmainstreet.org