Never underestimate the power of love.
Or the power of love locks.
After the story in Tuesday’s Daily Record about the city cutting about 30 love locks off a fence along the Northbank Riverwalk hit the Internet, Love Locks Inc. founder Debbie Peysar recognized the lock in the photo as being one of hers.
“We engraved that one for that couple,” she said Thursday when she called to say her company is offering to replace, free of charge, all of the locks that were removed.
Peysar started the company and its website, lovelocksonline.com, five years ago when she was a wedding planner.
She read about the European tradition of couples attaching personalized padlocks to bridges and other structures as a symbol of their commitment and decided to bring the custom to America.
The company, based in Hurricane, Utah, now offers a line of products based on the love lock Peysar designed specifically for the use.
The locks weigh 2 ounces, significantly less than a lock purchased in a hardware store, which heads off one of the concerns about the tradition: adding excess weight to a structure.
What started as an idea five years ago has turned into quite a business. Peysar has opened offices in the United Kingdom and Australia.
While she wouldn’t divulge sales figures, the company engraves and ships “thousands and thousands of locks each year,” she said.
The other concern about love locks is the litter and pollution aspect of tossing the keys into a waterway after the lock is secured. Peysar’s proprietary design has no key.
After the shackle is closed, it’s permanently placed — unless, as we know from local experience — someone decides to cut it off and remove it.
“We want to be clean and environmentally friendly,” she said.
Another part of the business is designing displays dedicated to love locks.
Peysar said she has helped many cities, national and state parks and resorts install the displays. She has contacted the Parks, Recreation and Community Development Department and offered her assistance as the city moves forward in identifying a location or locations to restore the opportunity.
According to Pam Roman, parks department spokeswoman and keeper of the lopped-off love locks, anyone whose lock was removed from the Riverwalk may come to the department on the fourth floor of the Ed Ball Building Downtown during business hours to claim it.
After it is properly identified (some are engraved with names or initials and one has a photograph bonded to it) the city will return the damaged lock to its owner and connect them with Peysar to arrange for a replacement, Roman said
In addition, a project chief has been assigned to the love locks issue and the city plans to consult with Peysar on the proposed permanent display.
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