"HANGING CHADS"

SHOP OWNER: Joe Doker

LOCATION: Tallahassee, FL

I have recently completed a piece of wood art that has significance with regard to the presidential election that I thought would be of interest to the group.

I live in Tallahassee, in Leon County, Florida which everyone now probably knows as the center of the presidential election debacle. Several weeks ago, I mentioned to my 14-year old son, Jimmy, that I wanted to construct a piece of "art" out of wood but didn't have any ideas for a design. A week of so later he showed me a design he had come up with by folding paper. It looked interesting so I constructed it.

As we looked at it and thought about what to name it, we came up with the name "Hanging Chads." From the photo you should be able to see why the name fits. I contacted our Leon County Supervisor of Elections about it and he agreed to display it in the Elections Supervisor's office for awhile. (We don't have hanging chads in Leon Co. since we use optical scanners.) So I went to the court house and maneuvered around all the media and security and delivered it.

Later on that day, the Florida Supreme Court ruled that the undercounted ballots should be counted and it looks like the Leon County Election Supervisor will be tapped by the court to assist with counting the Dade County ballots which were trucked to Tallahassee. So hanging chads, and my son's piece of art, turn out to be prophetic.

A couple of facts about the piece. It is made of white oak from a tree that was growing right here in Leon County. There are seven "chads", each measuring 7 inches by 7 inches (Recall that the election occurred on November 7th. This was a coincidence).

Hope you enjoy it.