Bridge Troll's fate hangs in limbo

The Troll, visible only by boat, was attached to the Bay Bridge after the 1989 earthquake and is seen as a good luck charm. The Troll, visible only by boat, was attached to the Bay Bridge after the 1989 earthquake and is seen as a good luck charm. Photo: Lance Iversen, The Chronicle Photo: Lance Iversen, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Bridge Troll's fate hangs in limbo 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

After years of roller-coaster costs, curses and delays, one key question about the new, $6.4 billion Bay Bridge eastern span remains: What happens to the Bridge Troll?

"I can tell you that there have been a lot of discussions about this at the highest levels, but so far no decision has been made," said Metropolitan Transportation Commission spokesman Randy Rentschler.

The Troll, a crafted piece of steel sculpture, lives under the north side of the old eastern span, out of drivers' sight.

The Troll has a barrel chest, spindly arms and legs, and long tongue. It's leaning forward slightly and holding what looks like a rod.

Created by artist Bill Roan and welded in place during the post-1989 earthquake retrofit, the 14-inch-tall Troll was viewed as a good-luck charm for workers on that project. It has also kept the bridge safe during the 24 years it has taken to build the replacement span.

Some think the Troll's uncertain future - now that the old span is been targeted for demolition - is what's behind all the bad luck that has befallen the new span, like the 32 snapped rods that were supposed to hold seismic-stability devices in place.

Joseph De Mario and Megan McHugh, who are working on a film called "Demolition Troll," say Roan would like the Troll to stay in place - at least for the time being - to protect the workers who will be taking the old bridge apart.

A just-released 25-page report by the bridge's management team - titled, "For Whom the Troll Dwells" - calls for the Troll to be preserved and eventually relocated to a safe place near the bridge.

The team further recommends that another troll statue be created for the new span to "provide a possible extra measure of safety."

Stepping up: Someone who definitely will be there for next week's big bridge-opening ceremony is Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom.

"I wouldn't miss it," said Newsom, who by virtue of Gov. Jerry Brown's planned absence from the state will be the acting governor that day.

That means he'll be front and center for the historic photo op and speeches.

Brown, who was mayor of Oakland when much of the debate over the Bay Bridge design took place, plans to attend his wife Anne Gust Brown's family reunion back in Michigan over the Labor Day weekend.

His office insists Brown wasn't looking to avoid the opening because of those 32 broken rods and all the resulting bad publicity the bridge has endured as a result.

Staffers say Brown made his travel plans when it looked like the bridge wouldn't open on time.

Senior samurai: All in all, it was a pretty rough day for 41-year-old Price Wheeler - who found himself in jail after coming face to face with a sword-wielding senior citizen who was not amused with his alleged antics.

"It really was something to see," said police Capt. Garrett Tom, who along with Mayor Ed Lee happened to be walking back from the city's annual pingpong tournament in Chinatown just as the Tenderloin transient took off running out of a Grant Avenue store.

According to Tom, it all began when Wheeler - who has a long rap sheet, mostly for petty theft - started messing around with the merchandise in the New Shanghai knick-knack store on Grant Avenue.

When store owner Charles Liu kicked him out, Wheeler went across the street to New Peking, also owned by the Liu family.

Liu followed him into the store and a confrontation ensued, with Wheeler allegedly pushing the 81-year-old Liu backward.

Liu took off across the street to a third store that his son manages, with Wheeler in pursuit, police said.

Once in the store, Liu grabbed a 3-foot-long sword off the wall and brandished it at Wheeler, who took one look at the blade and took off running.

Just at that moment, the mayor, his security team, Tom and police Lt. Paul Yep happened by. Yep promptly caught up to Wheeler - who was holding a very expensive Louis Vuitton bag that had been stolen from a car earlier that day, police said.

Wheeler is now cooling his heels in County Jail, where he is facing charges of probation violation, possession of stolen goods and ... elder abuse.