'Dino-mite' - It's love at first sight

The parks and recreation staff sent a Valentine on behalf of its mascot, Stanley the Dinosaur, left, to his counterpart, Clair, at the Sunset C Sinclair service station. It sparked an exchange of romantic correspondence in time for this year's holiday.

A new mascot for Mountain Home Parks and Recreation Department has a new admirer.

Stanley the Dinosaur, who sits on the roof of the department's headquarters on South 5th West Street, received his first Valentine this week.

The fiberglass statue, which remained in a storage shed for several years, resurfaced in December as the crew cleared out one of its storage units. It wound up on the roof after parks and recreation director Stan Franks made an off-the-cuff remark about where it should go.

In the spirit of the holiday, the parks and recreation crew got together and decided that the apatosaurus needed to be a part of the Valentine's Day tradition. On a whim, they bought a card and wrote a note addressed to a similar mascot that stands in front of the Sunset C Sinclair service station. They addressed the letter to "my dear Clair" -- a shorted version of the service station's name.

"I am the new landmark for the local parks and recreation department here in Mountain Home," the note read. "I hope you will be my Valentine always."

Reading the card, the staff at the local service station decided they wanted to return the favor.

"We thought it was cute and funny, so we got a card and sent it off," said Connie Garland, a representative with the local service station.

On Wednesday afternoon, the parks and recreation crew received a note on Clair's behalf.

"I read about you in the local paper, and seeing how we are the only two of our kind, will you be my Valentine," the note read.

In response, the parks and recreation department took some leftover decorations and crafted a handmade necklace adorned with tiny hearts. On Thursday, they sent the gift and a second card to the local service station.

"I will remain on the roof in hopes of getting a glimpse of you from afar," the note read. "Even though you can not see me, please know that I have a 'heart' for you."

A few hours later, Stanley received a thank-you note written on Clair's behalf.

Note: In the spirit of the Valentine's Day holiday, the staff of the Mountain Home News invites our subscribers to use the comments section that accompanies this story to share stories of their own Valentine's Day.