Celebrities aren't only abundant in the Twin Cities, they're eminently accessible.
There's Mary Tyler Moore in downtown Minneapolis. Herb Brooks in front of the X. A bunch of baseball legends at Target Field. Charlie Brown headed to school. Lucy kicking a football.
This weekend, Willard Ikola, the state's iconic boys' high school hockey coach, will join the list of TV and cartoon characters, sports heroes, media scribes, politicians and explorers with local ties whose likeness has been carved out of bronze.
The unveiling of life-sized statue of the hounds-tooth cap wearing, note-card holding Ikola, who guided Edina to eight state championships in his 33-year career, is set for 10 a.m. Saturday in front of Braemar Arena in Edina. Among the celebrities on hand for the event will be the real life Ikola, who lives in Hopkins but is staying in St. Paul this weekend to watch the state tournament.
"Ike" will be whisked from his hotel to the unveiling, stick around for some handshaking and hobnobbing, then be chauffeured back to St. Paul for the tourney he's attended as a player, coach or fan for all but a handful of its 75 years.
Nicholas Legaros, the creator of the Ikola statue — and several of the others around town — also will be there to unveil his latest hunk of heavy metal artwork.
