Central California’s lumbering wood beast needs a name
A large wooden bear sculpture carved from a 100-year-old tree stump has been installed in Courthouse Park in Merced, California, as a community art project. Local woodcarver Tommy McCarty created the piece in three days, and Merced County is now inviting the public to submit name suggestions. The naming contest runs through May 31, with the winner to be recognized by the Merced County Board of Supervisors.
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Metro Central California’s lumbering wood beast needs a name By Pierce Sharpe Published April 29, 2026, 10:32 p.m. ET Move over Yogi — there’s a new big bear in town. A massive wooden bruin just planted itself in the San Joaquin Valley, and unlike its real-life cousins, this one isn’t after picnic baskets — it just needs a name. Merced County is crowdsourcing ideas for the larger-than-life sculpture, carved straight out of a dying 100-year-old tree that once stood in the park. Instead of hauling it away, officials say the County “saw an opportunity to repurpose the stump into a meaningful and lasting addition to the park.” 4 Merced County is crowdsourcing name ideas for the larger-than-life sculpture.
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