A LIFE OF THEIR OWN MANNEQUINS A TOURIST DRAW.Byline: Andrea Cavanaugh Staff Writer SIMI VALLEY Simi Valley (sē`mē, sĭm`ē), city (1990 pop. 100,217), Ventura co., SW Calif. in an oil, fruit, and farm region; laid out 1887, inc. 1969. - Anyone who thinks Simi Valley has no seasons hasn't seen Kimo Kane's mannequins. Kane, the merchandising manager at William L. Morris Chevrolet, has captured the blushing beauty of a June bride, the chilly fall weather of a football game, and the frosty frost·y adj. frost·i·er, frost·i·est 1. Producing or characterized by frost; freezing. See Synonyms at cold. 2. Covered with or as if with frost. 3. Silvery white; hoary. 4. nights of the Christmas season with his costumed mannequins. What began in April as a marketing come-on at the corner of First and Cochran streets has turned at times into a celebration of community. Last fall, Kane dressed his mannequins in football and cheerleading uniforms Early Styles/brief history This is the uniform outfit worn by cheerleading squads usually indicative of the mascot, school, and/or colors of the team and/or organization they are representing. from Royal and Simi Valley high schools Simi Valley High School is a secondary school located in Simi Valley, California which was established in 1920 as the first high school in the valley. It nestles in the Santa Susana Mountains and is adjacent to the San Fernando Valley, part of the city and county of Ventura. . In July, Kane dressed them in island garb when the dealership hosted a surprise birthday luau for Britney Anderson, an 11-year-old Simi Valley cancer patient. The party was a send-off for Britney, who was on her way to Hawaii courtesy of the Make-A-Wish program. ``That wasn't enough - they really wanted to get involved,'' said Shanna Wasson Taylor, executive director of Make-A-Wish Foundation The Make-A-Wish Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that grants wishes to children (2.5 years to 18 years old) with life-threatening medical conditions. of the Tri-Counties. ``They funded her wish to go to Hawaii.'' In October, as wildfires raged through the county, Kane dressed the mannequins in fire and police uniforms. Dealership employees move the mannequins inside each night, but that hasn't kept the pranksters away, Kane said. ``A drive-by kidnapper took one of the girls,'' he said. ``We've never found her.'' The dealership has spent more than $25,000 so far on mannequins and costumes, but it's been worth it, said Brad Jadwin, the dealership's new- car manager. ``It's amazing a·maze v. a·mazed, a·maz·ing, a·maz·es v.tr. 1. To affect with great wonder; astonish. See Synonyms at surprise. 2. Obsolete To bewilder; perplex. v.intr. , the response we've gotten,'' Jadwin said. ``People tell me they drive two miles out of the way to see how the mannequins are dressed.'' Dealership employees tease tease (tez) to pull apart gently with fine needles to permit microscopic examination. tease v. Kane about the amount of time he spends with the life-size dolls, he said. As he wheeled out four mannequins dressed in mariachi-theme clothing, Kane admitted that the figurines have taken on personalities of their own. ``The guys kid me about it,'' he said. ``They accuse me of giving them names. This week it's Armando and the Gauchettes. I call them the family.'' Finding costumes is nothing new to Kane, a former lounge singer and variety show producer who has performed in Las Vegas Las Vegas (läs vā`gəs), city (1990 pop. 258,295), seat of Clark co., S Nev.; inc. 1911. It is the largest city in Nevada and the center of one of the fastest-growing urban areas in the United States. and in the Caribbean. The difficult part, Kane said, was learning how to handle the fragile mannequins, which cost $1,000 each and must be taken apart every two weeks when their costumes are changed. ``You grab them by the arm, and the arm comes off,'' he said. ``Playing with dolls that fall apart is kind of crazy.'' Andrea Cavanaugh, (805) 583-7604 andrea.cavanaugh(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1 -- color) William L. Morris Chevrolet merchandising manager Kimo Kane's mannequins have become a tourist attraction Noun 1. tourist attraction - a characteristic that attracts tourists attractive feature, magnet, attractor, attracter, attraction - a characteristic that provides pleasure and attracts; "flowers are an attractor for bees" . (2) Kimo Kane has an unusual marketing technique for William L. Morris Chevrolet: mannequins in theme costumes. Joe Binoya/Special to the Daily News |
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