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The eagles have landed
Eagle Nation on Parade statues 'nesting' around Statesboro
W GATA
GATA is installed at the Statesboro Holiday Inn. It was purchased at auction by Douglas Lambert, Billy Hickman and John Lavender. The production of the eagle was sponsored by Bryan and Elizabeth Burke, and it was painted by local artist Greg Carter. - photo by Special

The first flock of the Eagle Nation on Parade has landed.
    Six eagle statues are in their “nests” around Statesboro. A seventh will be added next spring. It will be the winning design from a contest among Bulloch County K-12 students, and it will be placed at the winner’s school.
    It’s a public art project modeled after such displays as Cows on Parade in Chicago and Town Turtles in Sandy Springs, Ga.
    Trish Carter, the chairwoman of the Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art at Georgia Southern University, said the project has raised $22,000 that will fund liberal arts and art scholarships at GSU.
    The eagles, which have only appeared in recent weeks, already are becoming landmarks. Carter explained how Heritage Bank of the South on South Main Street has gotten recognition since it became the nesting ground of an eagle named “Embrace the Heritage.”
    “People stop by and go to the bank to get their picture taken with the eagle on the lawn,” Carter said. “Heritage Bank of the South has become known as the ‘bank with the big blue eagle.’”
    A second flock of the 80-pound statues, which measure about 5 feet wide, 5 feet tall and 5 feet deep, is expected to launch next year.
    To find a map of where the eagles are, or for other information, go to www.eaglenationonparade.com.

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