On Sunday at 3:45 p.m. my wife and I were driving in downtown Zanesville. As we drove across the Putnam bridge and North on 6th street, I start to look at the sculptures that set outside on the sidewalk in front of the sculpture studio of Alan Cottrill. As we are passing the studio, I saw a white plastic 2 sided sign on the sidewalk that read, we are open. Come inside and for $2.00 you can look around. I asked my wife if she would care if we stopped in and took a look around. She said that would be fine but we had another piece of business that had to be taken care of before we stopped in and took a look. 
We quickly finished the other business we had in town and headed back to the sculptor’s studio before he closed. As we walked in the front door we were greeted by a white and gray cat. As I looked around in the foyer, I put our donation in a donation box and we walked to the open area on the first floor. We turned the corner and there was a man who was working on a small clay model of a man sitting on a bench. He Turned around when he heard us walking in. He introduced himself as Alan Cottrilll. He told us to have a look around. 
I told Alan that I was a member of 11 warriors and that I had been following his work on the Woody Hayes sculpture that he was doing and was going to be placed in the town of Newcomerstown.  His face lit up and like a 12 year old boy with a secret, he asked us if we wanted to see it? I couldn’t contain my joyous rush of excitement as I said hell yes. Alan walked us to the back area of the studio and as we passed several of his works, I saw the head of Woody setting on a table (the same bust we see when the donation drive story comes up) As I was telling him about the donation drive by 11 Warriors, he brings us face to face with the wax sculpture that is Woody Hayes. He told us that the sculpture would be going to the foundry in a couple weeks. 
There it was. Wayne Woodrow Hayes. It was perfect. It was a six foot three inch wax model of Woody. The wax was even Scarlet in color. The right arm was not attached but it was there with another exact model just five feet away. Alan gleamed that when he attaches the arm that it will be extended with a finger pointing. I walked up to the model and drank it in. The face, the pants, the shoes and the flat tie on the chest that is cut straight across the bottom. It is perfect, He is perfect I told Alan as I stepped back. I had goose bumps and the hair raised up on my arms and legs. I told Alan and he showed me his arms. His hair was standing up on his arms too. It was one of the moments that come far and few in between in life when complete strangers share something that nobody knows about but them. 
Alan showed us several other works he has done. This is his 3rd Woody Hayes. He has even done one of my wife’s Uncle, Leslie Cope. He had Brutus and several Jessie Owens bronzes that he has done. It’s like a whole Ohio State wing upstairs in the studio. The works that  this Maysville native has done are from all ranges. From animals and famous historical folks to religious themes and nudes to his and his wife’s sarcophagus’. Among the stories we shared, Alan shared that while doing his geneology, he found out that his 5 times great grandfather was an Indian Chief Netawatwes. This Chief had come to Ohio from New Jersey. He became the leader of the western Delawares in Ohio in a village they called Gekelmukpechunk. Early French traders and English settlers called Netawatwes Newcomer because he was In fact a new comer to the area. Eventually according to Alan the traders named the village Newcomerstown after the chief. Its fitting that a family member of the man who actually settled the village is doing this amazing sculpture of this villages most famous native.