Have you seen this bird?

 

The town of Grand Marais continues its quest to find the culprit who removed a fivefoot tall seagull from a billboard on I-35 near Pine City. A reward is now being offered for the return of the bird—or for the best explanation of its disappearance. If you can come up with an epic Paul Bunyan-style tale, you could win a Grand Marais weekend getaway!

 

The Grand Marais Area Tourism Association (GMATA) has turned a random act of vandalism into one of the funniest marketing ploys in history. The GMATA website now features an onthe spot news report of the search for the seagull as well as messages from seagull lovers from all over the United States.

Website comments range from suggestions that the Travelocity Gnome should be investigated (from Lynn of Moose Lake, MN) to the reassurance that the bird just got tired of being bolted to a billboard and escaped and is now enjoying himself on Five Mile Rock (from Jill in Park Rapids, MN).

Pragmatic Gina from Grand Marais suggests that the seagull decided to head to Two Harbors to visit its landmark bird, the chicken.

What do you think? If you have a theory about the birdnapping, share it with the Grand Marais Tourism Association at www.grandmarais. com and you could win a weekend at the home of more than one big seagull! The entry deadline is September 25, 2009. A winner will be selected September 30.

Competition is tough. The Grand Marais Area Tourism Association (GMATA) has received messages from seagull lovers from all over Minnesota and Wisconsin, as well as New Mexico, Alaska, Southern California, Iowa, Kansas, Washington DC, Florida, Nebraska, Indiana and Thunder Bay, Ontario.

Put on your detective hat and get to work. Help Grand Marais get its bird back!