Welcome to Linden, Where Almost Everyone Is a Bubble or So Off Plumb

Coming into town from the south on Highway 12, you'll pass a monument of Christ with His arms outstretched to bless the travelers, a statue the locals call the Flying Jesus. Back in the forties, a bunch of the city council members decided it might act as a reminder to slow folks down a little, since they didn't pay much attention to the speed limit signs.

Nothing much has changed in Linden in the past twenty-five years. The hooligans who terrorize senior citizens on Main Street have graduated from roller skates to roller blades, but Paulie's Theatre still changes features once every three weeks on Thursday, and most afternoons, if business is slow, you can catch Bud Newton behind the shop at work on his latest masterpiece: an eight-foot replica of Elvis made of used mufflers welded together. He'll be glad to show you some of his other creations--the Christmas tableau is particularly touching.