Lions decorate Plains

Now that Thanksgiving has passed the Plains Lions Club is helping residents get into the Christmas spirit by decorating the main street of downtown Plains.

With the help of NorthWestern Energy's Lloyd Rice, the Lions Club spent about an hour and a half Sunday afternoon putting up Christmas decorations for a mile along Railroad Street from one end of town to the other.

"It's a way for us to give back to the community for the holidays," said Duane Highcrane, president of the club. Highcrane was one of seven club members working with Rice, who was able to use NorthWestern Energy's truck and bucket to get the decorations some 20 feet up on poles along Railroad Street. Two volunteers – Nick Warren and his girlfriend, Shelby Rude of Missoula – also lent a hand. This was the first time the club asked the Plains-Paradise Rural Fire District for traffic control, according to Highcrane. Ken Matthiesen, a club member, and Ron King of the fire district volunteered their time to help make the task safer, said Highcrane.

The decorations begin with a three-section Seasons Greeting adornment at the corner of Highway 28 through town to a Merry Christmas decoration at the corner of Highway 200 and Central Avenue. Rice attached 25 lighted decorations – wreaths, candles, Christmas trees, and snowflakes – that ranged in size from three feet to almost six feet tall. Club members also decorated the chain link fence across from the new dentist office.

The Plains Lions Club has been putting up the downtown decorations for almost 50 years. Rice has been helping with the decoration project since he first moved to Plains in 2000. He left for another job for four years, but started up again when he returned. Highcrane said the club checked out the lights to make sure they were working on Friday and found that several needed new bulbs. He said 10 of them don't light up at all. The president said they'd like to get new ones, but they cost between $200-$400 apiece. Highcrane said the club would accept donations toward new decorations, which can be done by mailing them to the Plains Lions Club, P.O. Box 721, Plains, MT 59859. The decorations are owned by the Lions Club, but stored at the City Hall garage.

The Plains Lions Club sponsors several community projects throughout the year, including a Halloween hot dog roast, an Easter egg hunt, and a wading pool in the summer. They also collect spectacles and go to each of the county schools to provide free eye exams for the students. The club's only fundraiser is when they co-sponsor the fair's demolition derby.