Two of Vernal’s best known and loved figures are under consideration for the National Historic Registry. Everyone knows the pink dinosaur, Dinah, famous for greeting visitors on the east end of Vernal, while T-Rex is a staple on Highway 40 near the post office. It’s no surprise then that this pair has caught the eye of the State Historic Preservation Office. George and Helen Millecam built the iconic T-Rex around 1969 as a companion to other dinosaur statues they had at their Dine-A-Ville Motel where the current downtown Mountain America Credit Union now sits. The 40-foot pink version of Dinah was once there with the green T-Rex dinosaur but became Vernal’s greeter on the east end of town in 1999. In 2014, Dinah received a makeover complete with a reinforced frame and new candy-pink coat of paint. Now it is the T-Rex statue’s turn as his makeover is underway with a new fancy paint job planned for this spring. There’s no word yet if his costumes will make a comeback but there are plenty who miss seeing his gear for holidays and each season. Vernal City Assistant City Manager Gabby Blackburn reported to the Vernal City Council this month that the State Historic Preservation Office had reached out to Vernal City about adding the dinosaur statues to the National Historic Registry. She noted that the City can still do maintenance and decorations as they see fit. Recognition and rehabilitation advice would be the advantages to having the dinosaurs listed. The City Council’s consensus was to allow for Dinah and T-Rex to be added to the registry if given the opportunity.
