OBSERVER Photo by M.J. Stafford Dunkirk’s Whispering Giant statue has a tarp on it for winter weather.

Dunkirk’s Whispering Giant statue on Lake Shore Drive is sheathed in a tarp as winter approaches. It’s not getting an enclosure anytime soon.

According to city council member Nancy Nichols, that has sculptor Peter Toth upset.

Nichols said at a Department of Public Works meeting Wednesday that someone got word to Toth that the city has tarped up his sculpture. He insists that will cause condensation on the wooden statue and lead to damage, Nichols said.

The sculpture of a Native American was carved by Toth in 1973 and refurbished by him in 2014.

City Department of Public Works officials insisted the tarp is not tightly wrapped enough to cause a condensation problem. The statue has the tarp on it mainly to protect it from road salt, they said. “At this point, it might be the best option,” said Mike Przybycien, DPW’s deputy director.

DPW Director Randy Woodbury said a four-post structure intended as a permanent roof for the statue is still on the drawing board, because there is no plan in place for a foundation. He said a flimsy foundation for a tall, wooden roof in a weather-beaten area might end up bringing the whole structure down.

Everyone agreed at Wednesday’s meeting that, despite Toth’s fears, a tarp is better than no protection at all. “Those northwest winds coming in off the lake are horrendous,” Nichols said.