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[img]http://www.newsday.com/media/thumbnails/photo/2006-10/25941546.jpg[/img]
Quote:Dinosaur statue stolen from Oyster Festival
BY MICHAEL FRAZIER
Newsday Staff WriterOctober 16, 2006
Nassau police are searching for a creature that’s 5 feet tall, 10 feet long, brown with dark stripes and has been extinct for centuries.
The missing dinosaur, crafted from fiberglass, was fastened to a trailer with bolts, but thieves pilfered it over the weekend in Oyster Bay during the annual Oyster Festival.
The dinosaur was being used by the Center for Science Teaching and Learning in Rockville Centre to promote a robotic exhibit, "Battle of the Dinosaurs" at the Sands Point Preserve and Museum.
"We miss him already," the center’s director, Rayann Havasy, said. "He’s kind of a unique guy, so we’re hoping they have a change of heart and return him."
The dinosaur, which the museum owned since 1990, was an attraction at the 23rd annual waterfront festival, where it was stolen between 6 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. Sunday, police said.
Security cameras malfunctioned just before a thief or thieves cut the bolts to free the life-sized reptile, leaving the trailer behind, Havasy said. It was unclear whether someone connected with the festival was a suspect, but investigators said they haven’t ruled out anything.
Monday, police called the theft a prank. "It’s such an unusual item," said Det. Lt. John May of Nassau’s Second Squad. "Someone should see it."
The dinosaur, scientifically named Deinonychus [pronounced dahy-NON-i-kuhs], is a raptor with large, sickle-shaped foot claws. The reptile was made popular in the "Jurassic Park" movie trilogy.
Cindy Smith, spokeswoman for the festival, said 24-hour security watched over the about 11/2-mile stretch that the Oyster Festival covered. She said no one recalled any attractions being stolen before.
"They should really give them their poor dinosaur back," she said, adding the festival’s insurance can cover the loss.
The Oyster Festival, which took place Saturday and Sunday, is backed by the Oyster Bay Rotary Club and the Oyster Bay Charitable Fund to raise funds for 25 area nonprofits, Smith said.
Losing the dino to thieves is a setback, Havasy said, but promotions of the robotic dinosaur exhibit will press on. "We’ll have to get creative," she said. "Right now, we just have an empty trailer." Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 800-244-TIPS. Callers will remain anonymous.
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