Soap Lake scores giant lava lamp

By The Associated Press

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SOAP LAKE, Grant County — The Soap Lake City Council has reached agreement with Target Stores to move the company's giant lava lamp from New York City's Times Square to this Central Washington city.

Target will dismantle the 50-foot lamp Monday for shipment, said Brent Blake, president and CEO of the Soap Lake Giant Lava Lamp Project. He figures the trip west will take about a week.

The group has been hoping for a couple of years to revive Soap Lake's fading tourist fortunes with the world's largest functional lava lamp — a giant version of the 1960s fad fixture featuring gently undulating globs of glowing goo.

People used to travel to the city of about 1,275 people — about 150 miles east of Seattle — to take mineral waters and coat themselves with mud thought to aid healing, but the waters aren't the draw they once were.

Mayor Wayne Hovde said the lamp will be placed at a location selected by the community and approved by the council. Townspeople must raise the money to erect it, Hovde said.

"I'm excited about it. I think it's going to be a very good boost, something that will draw a lot of attention and a lot of visitors," he said.

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

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