Sculptors All Score A Spam Dunk

National Public Radio was there Saturday afternoon. So was "Nick News" from Nickelodeon. Attracting them to Pioneer Square - along with local media and hundreds of spectators - was the sixth annual Spam Carving Contest.

More than a hundred Spam sculptors paid $5 apiece (proceeds go to Northwest Harvest) to turn blocks of Spam into objets d'arte. Although they can use standard-issue plastic knives to sculpt, many contestants prefer their own tools - garlic presses, pie crimpers, graters, pottery and dentistry tools, pumpkin-carving saws, meat grinders and even a JC Penney credit card.

This year's entries included several inspired by the O.J. Simpson trial ("O.J. on the Spam"), Newt Gingrich ("Newt Spamrich") and movies ("Pret a Porker"). First prize went to first-time contestant Lorraine Howlett ("Spammy Smells Spam"); second to Matthew Green ("Seattle Spamscape") and third to Russ Leno ("Red Hog Micro Spam Brewery").

The seven runners-up included such classics as "Hammering Man," a clean-lined sculpture of a fist grasping a ball peen hammer, carved by 10-year-old Pioneer Square native Pepper Fajans.

A team effort was led by former prize winner Angela Follett ("Spammy Wynette Singing `Spam by your Man' "). Follett's group, attired in pig snouts and pink bandanas, captured three honorable mentions. Their group cheer: "What'da we eat? What'da we eat? Spam meat. Spam meat. How do we like it? Raw. Raw. Raw."

Putting on the dog: Announcement of spay-and-neuter day (tomorrow) at the King County Council last week was a success. So successful that all three shelter animals trotted out to publicize the program found new homes.

One of the orphans, a six-week-old part Boxer puppy, went home with King County Councilman Greg Nickels. Nickels gave the female puppy to his 11-year-old daughter, Carey Nickels. Nickels said, "We may call her Polly Esther. We were thinking: polyester boxer shorts."

Meanwhile, Nickels kicked off the fund-raiser season Saturdaywith his traditional February barbecue. Guests don shorts, no matter what the temperature.

Well roasted: Speakers at Friday's party for former Washington State Democratic party chairman Herb Legg included such unlikely companions as Republican Sen. Dan McDonald, former Republican chairman Montgomery (Gummy) Johnson and Gov. Mike Lowry. Lowry had the best line: "If you wonder what Herb's been doing for the last few months (since retirement). He's been my press agent."

Hoop dreams: What's the ultimate turn-on for a leading rock star? If you're a member of the hit Seattle rock band Candlebox, with a triple platinum recording to your name, you'd think that, by now, you'd have fulfilled your heart's desires.

Not so. Last week, Candlebox's Bardi Martin told jeweler Coralie Swanson that he was "so excited." What turned him on? Said Martin: "Floor seats for the Sonics."

Bean there: Sighted last week was a pickup with the following legend painted on the side: "Mukilteo Coffee Company, Gross Weight: 6,000 beans."

Jean Godden's column appears Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday in the Local News section of The Times. Her phone is 464-8300.