POST FALLS - For about 15 years, Ole John Bear stood in Bob and Carole Wisdom's neatly-trimmed front yard.

Taller than a man, the wooden chainsaw carving at the corner of Spokane and Park streets in Post Falls was a well-known waypoint. Delivery drivers and visitors knew they had reached the right block when Ole John popped into view, his little eyes peering toward the busy road, an unlucky salmon clutched in his meaty paws.

"He was erected for my dad (John)," Bob said. "He passed away in 1998."

Fashioned from the sturdy trunk of a pine tree, the bear was carved by the late Jerry Bebee, an award-winning chain saw artist from the Silver Valley.

"Everybody has just loved it," Carole said.

Ole John was a hardy fellow, and he enjoyed a long life. But hungry insects, zealous woodpeckers and North Idaho weather took their toll. This past January, the wooden bear came crashing down.

Blame it on the wildlife.

A bull, cow and calf moose stopped by the Wisdoms' house one day. The big animals gave Ole John no quarter - taking advantage of his weakened state, they toppled him over.

"Bob looked out and said, 'Oh my gosh, the bear is down,'" Carole recalled.

The Wisdoms resolved to resurrect Ole John. That bear meant a lot to the family, and to the people of Post Falls.

"It's just been kind of a community thing," Carole said. "So we wanted to get the bear back up."

Josh Crawley, the Wisdoms' grandson, volunteered to refurbish and repaint the carving. He finished up this spring, and on Thursday last week Ole John was replanted in the front yard.

The bear is much darker now, coated with fresh black paint. He stands on a wooden platform bolted into 600 pounds of rebar and concrete.

Ole John ain't going anywhere.

"I don't think he'll ever come out of there without a back hoe," Bob said.

He was amazed by the quality of his grandson's work - Crawley, a skilled woodworker, brought that bruin back to life.

"When it left here, I wasn't expecting it to come back looking like that," Bob said. "I know he put a lot of work into it."

Bill Wisdom, Bob's brother, was sprucing up the lawn around Ole John on Saturday. The piece of art, he said, looks even better now than it did in 1998, especially the finishing work.

Bill, Crowley and the rest of the Wisdom family wanted to replace Ole John as quickly as possible, they explained. Three years ago, Bob was diagnosed with cancer, and the bear is very important to him.

"It just kind of gives me goosebumps," Bill said. "It's pretty special. Really special to get it up, so Bob could see it again."