By Tim Binnall
The case of an individual sticking sizeable googly eyes to public statues throughout an Oregon community may be closed as a man has come forward to claim responsibility for the odd alterations. The peculiar story made worldwide headlines last month when officials in the City of Bend released a statement lamenting the mischief that, they said, cost around $1,500 in repairs. Like most weird incidents that wind up going viral, a few days of amused news coverage seemed to be the end of the matter until this week when a local media outlet received a revelatory press release.
Noting that the googly eyes had "sparked smiles, laughter, and widespread curiosity," the statement indicated that "the person behind the trend" was Jeff Keith of the human trafficking prevention organization Guardian Group. "I've always used pranks and humor to relieve the stress of my work," he said, "but I never expected a prank like this to take on a life of its own." To that end, he acknowledged "the city’s concerns" regarding the damage done by the googly eyes and offered assurances that "I'm in conversation to address any unintended effects." In the statement, Keith used his proverbial unmasking to raise awareness of his organization's mission to help those ensnared by human trafficking.
For their part, city officials responded to the press release by indicating that they have largely moved on from the wacky matter in favor of more pressing concerns facing the community such as the budget and wildfire preparedness. "Our understanding is that a community member may be interested in recognizing the impact of the googly eyes," they said, "but we are not pursuing anything at this time nor are City staff in direct conversations with him." It remains to be seen whether or not Keith will reimburse the city for the cost of the pranks or if he will face any vandalism charges for his well-intentioned but expensive shenanigans.