Reynolds finishes Melody Mill sign

There is a new bright spot in Aniwa.

Aniwa resident Tyler Reynolds finished his project of redesigning and repainting the old Melody Mill sign on state Highway 52.

“I haven’t really done anything like this in my life before,” said Reynolds.

The process — which involved using two coats of primer and one count of bright white epoxy paint, as well as printed vinyl from Southside Graphics in Antigo — took Reynolds seven months. It lasted that long due to a couple hiccups on the way, including weather and not being able to use a lift.

“I wanted to take a crack at the sign,” said Reynolds. “The owners of Melody Mill told me to do whatever I wanted to do with it.”

He said that he wanted to help out a small business that plays a part in the Aniwa community.

“I was compelled to do it,” said Reynolds. “I wanted to do God’s honest work.”

Reynolds said that he has experience working with small businesses, including designing and painting at Emma Kait’s Coffeehaus in Birnamwood. So when the opportunity came up to work with Melody Mill, he wanted to share his talent for commercial art.

“I have been doing art my whole life,” said Reynolds. “With my experience in Birnamwood, I wanted to bring this commercial art to Aniwa.”

Reynolds grew up in Aniwa, often visiting Melody Mill for fish fries.

“It was super nostalgic,” he said. “It is great coming back home. With the history around Melody Mill, it is great to a part of history in Aniwa.”

Reynolds said being able to work on a historic building in Aniwa was a great experience.

He added that as he worked on the sign, he kept recalling memories of attending fish fries with grandparents when he was a child, as well as family gatherings for music and sports.

The new sign depicts the logo of the restaurant, which it has had for 50 years. Reynolds went through a tough process in order to feature the logo.

“I brought back their old logo,” said Reynolds. “The only place that I could find the logo was on an old business card. It was sort of faded, so I blew it up on my computer and tried to make adjustments to copy it.”

The sign also features a portrait of a cheeseburger, a mug of beer and an order of french fries.

When Reynolds finished the sign, he posted it on Facebook and was surprised to see 100 likes on his post overnight.

“I have had people who used to work there reach out and give me a compliment on the sign,” said Reynolds.

Reynolds also said that the owners of the restaurant were very happy in seeing the finished product.

The redesigning and repainting of the sign is just one area in which Reynolds has helped the restaurant. He also redesigned their menu, which now features a musical design that pays homage to musical history in the area.

“This means a lot to both Melody Mill and me,” said Reynolds.

He added that with the upgraded sign and the upgraded menus, Reynolds hopes to drive more business into the restaurant and bring more visitors to Aniwa.

He also noted that LED lights were installed to light up the sign at night.

“It looks fantastic when you drive by at night,” said Reynolds.

Reynolds said he plans to continue to make art in Antigo.

lreimer@newmedia-wi.com