Welcome to Plains

Visitors coming into Plains from the west will see a new welcome sign, thanks to a Paradise artist.

It took Steve Eberhardt of Paradise more than 100 hours, almost 70 pieces of wood, and over six gallons of 31 different color recipes to create the new two-sided sign, which was assembled Sunday afternoon with the help of a few friends.

"I wanted to pick colors that look fun and inviting so even on a dull day it's bright and cheerful," said Eberhardt, an artist for 43 years. The former sign was erected around 2004, said Dacy Holland, a member of the sign committee of the then Plains Chamber of Commerce, which folded several years ago. The money raised by the chamber was transferred to the Plains Business Association. Erika Lawyer, a member of the PBA, said about $8,000 was allocated to fix or replace the signage on the west end of town and at the junction of Highways 200 and 135. Lawyer added that the Plains Booster Club will be sponsoring a new electric lighted reader board sign to replace the aging sign at the junction of Highways 200 and 28. She believes the sign for that corner will be about $10,000. She said the club might not have enough money and will probably have to hold a fundraiser to get the corner sign replaced. Eberhardt said the PBA wanted to get the west end sign done before winter.

Eberhardt initially looked at revamping the old sign, but said that it was too faded and much of it was dry rotted and falling apart, although he was able to utilize the main posts and two of the cross beams. The 56-year-old Eberhardt came up with a new design that depicted two mustang horses running, along with mountains, the Clark Fork River, and a sunset or sunrise, depending on which way a person is traveling, said Eberhardt.

He started working on the pieces about four weeks ago. It took less than an hour to tear down the old sign on Saturday, but just over six hours to assemble the new one Sunday. Helping Eberhardt erect the 16-foot wide by 7.5-foot tall sign included Eberhardt's wife, Lisa, Chuck and Becky Nichter of Thompson Falls, Brad Stacey of Plains and Steve and Sheila Pedersen of Plains.

"There's a lot of love in this sign," said Eberhardt, who made extra sets of the cutout pieces, in case any need to be replaced. He used an outdoor oil-based paint and said it should last 20 years. Eberhardt added that he would care for the sign as longs as he lives here.