Will White House feature Flamingos?

Insight on the News, Jan 28, 2002 by Brandon Spun, John Berlau

George W. Bush no longer is the only story in town. That's true, at least, in his hometown of Midland, Texas, where P.J. Zarzano, founder of uptownFlamingo.com has relocated.

Pamela Jane, or P.J. as she prefers to be called, has collected flamingo paraphernalia for 30 years. Before opening her dot-com bazaar, Zarzano ran a software company on the Web that flaunted a flamingo--a logo that drew a great deal of attention, much to her surprise.

Uptown Flamingo sells a plethora of flamingo products, including sculptures, bedspreads, wine stems, lamps and kitchen and vanity items. Zarzano is quick to explain that the stuff she sells is not mere gift-shop jimcrackery but unique "collectors' items."

Since its founding in the summer of 1999, the Zarzano site only has gained in popularity. Indeed, since then it has become a mecca for flamingo fans and even attracted attention on the pages of People magazine and the Wall Street Journal.

The creator of this original online flamingo site now takes calls from companies begging her to hawk their wares. Not surprisingly, several other flamingo sites have sprung up, one even claiming to be the original. But Zarzano seems happy as long as her products are selling and continuing to provide a few giggles to inveterate Web surfers.

Is she in touch with Midland's favorite son? Well, sort of -- she's sent an e-mail his way. But President Bush has not yet responded to her offer to decorate the front yard of his home with the most popular item on her site: the legendary pink lawn-ornament flamingo.

BRANDON SPUN IS A REPORTER AND JOHN BERLAU IS A WRITER FOR INSIGHT.