Beloved sign will stay

By ANN S. KIM, Portland Press Herald Writer

Copyright © 2005 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.

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Staff photo by Gordon Chibroski Al Hawkes explains how he used a tie rod from a 1940s Ford to connect the moving arm of the walking serviceman sign that he erected in 1962. Behind Hawkes is Ruby Simkoff, one of the landmark's buyers.

WESTBROOK — It's been years since the giant, walking TV serviceman at Hawkes Plaza had a regular workout. Many of the sign's light bulbs are burned out, some of the neon parts need to be fixed, and only rarely do the serviceman's motorized arms swing by his sides.

Still, the bright roadside fixture commands attention and inspires affection.

Al and Barbara Hawkes have been the guardians of the 13-foot-tall serviceman since the sign went up in 1962. This month, the well-known couple - he is a bluegrass musician and music historian, and she is the longtime city clerk - sold Hawkes Plaza and its landmark sign on Route 302.

"I'm 74. I just figure I should downsize things that require my attention so I can concentrate on things I want to do," Al Hawkes said.

Prospective buyers have been inquiring about the property for about a decade, but it wasn't until recently that the Hawkeses found a deal they could accept, one that met their minimum price and respected the serviceman that Hawkes built.

A broker from New Jersey, for example, was interested in the property as a site for 200 storage units. The project included tearing down the old buildings, including the former blacksmith's shop that was run by Hawkes' great-uncle in the late 1800s - and the serviceman.

"Everybody who said they had no need for the sign, that hurt my feelings," Hawkes said. "I have an attachment to it. A lot of sweat and blood went into that."

The new owners, Ruby Simkoff and Bill Umbel, plan to develop the property commercially and keep the serviceman.

"From the first moment I saw the man, I loved the man," Simkoff said.

Umbel was helping the Hawkeses find a buyer when he realized that he wanted the place himself. Umbel said he and Simkoff will keep the buildings, do some renovations and possibly add an extension.

"I don't do storage units. I don't do condos," Umbel said.

Al and Barbara Hawkes opened their television repair and sales shop in 1955. A few years later, Al Hawkes decided they needed a big sign. It took Hawkes, his father and another helper six months to make the serviceman and the even larger, lettered portion of the sign.

When the Hawkeses closed the television business in 1990, the serviceman remained.

While New York City has the Statue of Liberty, this corner of Westbrook has the giant serviceman, Cliff Harris said from his spot behind the register at Highland Variety, across the street.

"Summertime, you'll look over there. There's a mother, daughter, husband. They'll be in front of it, taking pictures of it," Harris said. "It's a big attraction here."

The giant walking serviceman was featured in the book "Maine Curiosities," by the comedian Tim Sample and Steve Bither, along with such roadside attractions as the giant Indian in Freeport and the 31-foot-tall Paul Bunyan in Bangor.

The serviceman has also appeared in the trade journal Signs of the Times and the Zippy comic strip.

Barbara Hawkes said it's a relief to relinquish the responsibility of managing the property. Al Hawkes looks forward to having more time for a project interviewing and recording Maine pioneers in bluegrass music, but he's a bit nostalgic about the serviceman.

"I built the man. I've been connected to him since 1962," he said. "He's out of my hands now."

Staff Writer Ann S. Kim can be contacted at 791-6383 or at: