X-Message-Number: 25779 From: "Mikhail Soloviev" <> Subject: US town to party with the dead Date: Thu, 10 Mar 2005 14:06:59 +0100 Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4320773.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/world/americas/4320773.stm US town to party with the dead Bredo Morstoel is the life and soul of his Colorado town's unusual annual festival - despite being dead for 15 years. Known as Grandpa, the 89-year-old Norwegian's body was discovered cryogenically frozen in a shed in 1994. But the people of Nederland, a small mining town 35 miles (56km) north-west of Denver, decided to turn the discovery to their advantage. In 2002, the first Frozen Dead Guy Days festival was held in a bid to attract tourists and preparations for this year's event are under way. T-shirts and baseball caps are already on sale and garish publicity posters - one bearing the phrase 'It Came From Cryogenics" - produced. Coffin races Events include a "Thaw Your Bones" chilli cook-off, live music, coffin races, a Champagne tour of Grandpa's shed, a Grandpa pub crawl and even a Grandpa look-a-like competition. Among the invited guests for next week's event are President George W Bush and King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway, urged by the town's Chamber of Commerce to take part in the "fun and parody of the weekend". But they are also being asked to help Grandpa Bredo's daughter - Aud Morstoel - get a visa so she can act as the event's parade marshal. Her application may be refused as she was forced to leave the US for violating her visa by staying four months longer than it allowed after the discovery of her father's body. Aud Morstoel's son Trygve Bauge, who is lobbying politicians, embassies and the media to secure his mother's visa, said: "They are trying to deny it. Clone Grandpa "They are dragging their feet. They should have given us this a long time ago." Mr Bauge cryogenically prepared his grandfather's body, which is encased in an aluminium casket and covered in dry ice in a shed. It is hoped the body will one day be revived or cloned. Grandpa Bredo was discovered when Mr Bauge was deported for immigration violations and Aud Morstoel was left behind with the body. A caretaker replenishes the ice around his body when it is necessary. During the event, Grandpa will stay at home while the festivities go on around him - but organisers say his spirit will help ensure a party to remember. _________________________________________________________________ Express yourself instantly with MSN Messenger! Download today it's FREE! http://messenger.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200471ave/direct/01/ Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=25779