Giant ceremonial scissors seen in Encinitas

This just in --

"Cottonwood Creek Park Opens (North County Times, 6/15/04) ENCINITAS-- Mayor Maggie Houlihan used giant, ceremonial scissors to cut the ribbon at Monday's ceremonies to open Cottonwood Creek Park.�" Giant ceremonial scissors? Where do such things come from?

-- Mark Noxii, Coastal North County

Straight from a catalog of giant ceremonial things, according to Phil Cotton, director of parks and rec for Encinitas. Keys to the city, gavels, shovels, red carpet-- for your next ground breaking or grand opening, specialty companies will supply everything but the dignitaries. Got 450 bucks? Order that snazzy gold-plated shovel. How about a pair of yard-long, 24k gold-plated scissors that really cut. But for $1000, they'd better really cut. Extra for engraving if the suits can take the scissors home as a memento of the occasion. Mayor Houlihan's giant scissors are the city's only pair, so she didn't get to keep them. No precious-metal plating, just silver-painted metal with blades sharp enough to cut ribbon, according to Cotton. Low-cost, recyclable, sensible giant ceremonial scissors.