The sign atop the Dairy Lodge boasts a fairly risque woman *riding* an ice cream cone. Delve as deeply as you would like into that one, folks… Some locals even affectionately call her the “Dairy Slut.” There is an ongoing controversy surrounding the blonde woman. For many years, she was a brunette. And fairly recently, she was painted back as a blonde. Yikes, the drama!
According to the Record-Eagle article about the Dairy Lodge,
Al (the original owner) wanted a distinctive logo and built the sign with the Dairy Lodge blond beauty holding an inviting cone. As the story goes, the blonde was named “Shirley,” after Al’s wife. Years later, the sign was repainted, turning “Shirley” into a brunette.
“Eventually, the sign’s original painter, Mel Timmerman, offered to update the sign and a Dairy Lodge dispute arose among some customers when he restored Shirley’s blond locks.”
“There were some people who didn’t realize she had been a blonde,” said Popp, with a smile. “They sort of raised a ruckus.”
To hear a short Interlochen Public Radio program on the controversy, click here.
Dear readers, do you prefer her as a blonde or a brunette? Thankfully, the Dairy Lodge sells t-shirts with a choice: blonde or brunette? Whew.
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