By Pepper Fisher

PORT ANGELES – Wind and corrosion are being blamed for the loss of an iconic sign along First Street in Port Angeles.

We spoke with the owner of the Flagstone Motel, directly across the street from the post office, after some unforecasted gusty winds blew into town Wednesday afternoon and toppled the top 25 feet of the “MOTEL” sign that had stood there for decades.

The owner, who wishes to remain anonymous, said it was a blessing that no one was hurt when the sign fell and landed on the roof just above the sidewalk around 3:00pm. He said he was playing with his daughter outside when he heard the crash.

By Wednesday night, Daniel Geottling, owner of Accurate Angle Crane, and his team were there to lift the sign to the parking lot and begin the process of demolishing it for disposal.

The owner says he’s going to miss the old landmark, adding that it wasn’t unusual for people to park their cars in front just to get out and take photos of it. He said the next step is to get the roof repaired, and then he’d look into replacing it with a new sign.

(Photos courtesy of Stephanie Rae Thanheiser)