CELORON, New York — They may have loved "I Love Lucy" but many in Lucille Ball's western New York hometown have no affection for her life-size statue in a local park. Since the bronze sculpture was unveiled in 2009 in Lucille Ball Memorial Park in the village of Celoron, the statue has been blasted by critics who say it bears little or no likeness to the popular 1950s sitcom actress and comedian. Village officials told The Post-Journal of Jamestown that they've talked to the sculptor about making changes to the statue's face, but the artist wants as much as $10,000 to alter his artwork. Other sculptors have quoted a price tag of about $5,000. He said no taxpayer funds will be used for the statue project. The village has started a fundraising effort to pay for the sculpture's makeover. A statue replacement campaign has been launched on Facebook with the name, "We Love Lucy! Get Rid of this Statue." The statue was commissioned privately by a couple who hired a sculptor. The 400-pound (180-kilogram) statue was installed in August 2009 in a park Celoron, where Ball spent much of her youth. - AP
