News Desk
Whether “El Pato” is officially the world’s largest goose remains to be seen; however, creator and owner Arvino Kagan is adamant that his behemoth creation can indeed hold the title. “I claim it,” he says. About the only other comparable structure is in Sumner, Missouri, “which claims to be the largest goose and we are bigger, much bigger.”
Located on Kagan’s Santa Rosa street property, the monumental bird took three years to finish. In celebration of its completion, a party was held this past Saint Valentine’s Day and the proceeds went to the non-profit housing organization, Casita Linda. A Chicago-born, former real estate agent, Kagan entered early retirement and is now living full time in San Miguel. Since moving here, Kagan has wanted to make his own mark within the community, and created “El Pato” as a means of standing out in a town famous for its Spanish architecture.
Originally intended to be a goose, the sculpture—as Kagan calls it— was renamed by locals, El Pato (“The Duck”). When asked how much the project cost, Kagan made the comparison to the price of a cheap Ferrari: “Lots of people have Ferraris, but nobody else has the world’s largest goose.”
The current use of the 72-foot structure is for holding parties, complete with multi-color laser lights and plenty of parking. When the goose was first erected, over two years ago, it attracted national attention given that it doesn’t exactly blend in the town’s skyline.
When asked about his take on the current public perception of the structure, Kagan says, “I think most people like it. The majority of the comments I get is positive. And those who have a negative opinion, say it is simply ‘inappropriate’ for San Miguel. But nobody says it’s ugly, I never get that.”
Some people, however, have considered it offensive. “Well,” says Kagan, “they probably didn’t like their mothers. Geese represent motherhood and I think what makes San Miguel tick is the inherent creative nature
of it.”
He recalls that when San Miguel’s landmark La Parroquia was built in 1896, many people found it odd, and even “offensive.”
But now its image is on the front of most San Miguel postcards. “Maybe one day the goose will be part of that,” comments Kagan.
