Dinosaur shows up in Plains

A dinosaur has a new home at the Sinclair Gas Station in Plains last week, but now the parents, Dave and JoAnne Colyer need to come up with a name for their new addition. To take off the pressure of giving it a name, they've decided to let the public do it.

The Colyers received the 12-foot long, 6-foot tall Sinclair mascot last Thursday as part of a regional promotion for the Sinclair company and its Missoula distributor, High Noon. JoAnne said the Plains station was one of two out of 10 possible stations to receive the green mascot. "I thought it was pretty cool to get a dinosaur," said JoAnne. The Colyers will celebrate 35 years of owning the station next August.

Management from the Sinclair corporation said they name the mascot "Dino," but they encourage local stations to name their own dinosaur to make it more local or "townish," said JoAnne. Employee Monica Weedeman suggested having a contest to name the critter, which is presently positioned just outside the station's front door. There is a box inside the station where people can drop off their suggestion. It will be there until Jan. 1, when the Colyers will decide on which name best suits their dinosaur. The winner will receive a Sinclair gift certificate, although JoAnne said they haven't decided on the monetary amount. She said they didn't know they were even getting a dinosaur until it showed up on a truck. The mascot received a red cap, a bow and a wreath scarf on Friday. "We wanted him decorated for Christmas. It adds to his charm," said JoAnne, who added that several people have already come by to get their photo taken with the new dinosaur. Pictures of the mascot have already shown up on Facebook, she said.

The Plains Sinclair is one of two in Sanders County; the other is in Trout Creek.