City dedicates Cliff Clemens Park

Mayor Dave Elliott presents a plaque commemorating the dedication of Cliff Clemens Park to Cliff Clemens on November 2, as Sisters Kiwanis President Jeff McDonald looks on. photo by Jim Mitchell A crowd of about 75 Sisters citizens, past and present, gathered in blustery, rainy weather on Election Day to honor Sisters' most venerable citizen and to dedicate Cliff Clemens Park.

Mayor Dave Elliott welcomed the group, talked about Clifton Clemens' contributions and commitment to the community, and turned the platform over to Kiwanis President Jeff McDonald.

McDonald talked about Clemens' involvement as the first president of the Kiwanis Club of Sisters. McDonald's Internet research revealed that a person's name is used on a building or sign to give direction or simply to advertise a product or service.

"But," he said, "for a community to place the name of one of its citizens on one of these public places honors greatness."

McDonald concluded, "By definition I would say that we have made a sound decision to honor a member of our community that has been many things: strong, caring, giving, always community minded, a visionary, a true leader."

McDonald also announced that the Kiwanis Club of Sisters is committing funds and labor to an as yet unspecified project in the park.

Harold O'Hara, one of three remaining Charter Members of the local Kiwanis Club (Cliff and his son Dave Clemens are the other two), reviewed the history of Sisters Kiwanis' commitment to the community.

Cliff was presented with a plaque that read, "Presented to Cliff Clemens in recognition of a lifetime of outstanding and devoted service to the community of Sisters. On this 2nd day of November, 2004, we dedicate this park in the City of Sisters, as CLIFF CLEMENS PARK." It was signed by Jeff McDonald, president, Sisters Kiwanis and Dave Elliott, Mayor, City of Sisters.

As the rain started to come down, obviously suffering from the cold, Cliff Clemens recited two verses of a song adapted from a meditation by John Donne:

"No man is an island; No man stands alone. Each man's joy is a joy to me; Each man's grief is my own. We need one another, So I will defend Each man as my brother; Each man as my friend."

Then he expressed his honor and feelings of friendship with the people of Sisters. He concluded, "I've had a pretty interesting life and Sisters has been a big part of it."

In an interview several days later, Clemens said, "I thought it was very nice. The weather wasn't all it could have been but I was real pleased -- and honored. I didn't realize that the park is three acres. That's a pretty nice little park.

"I spent three days trying to think of what I was going to say and I just couldn't get anywhere. So finally I told myself, 'I'll go and see what happens.'

"And it turned out really pretty well, I thought. It's a real honor to have something like that happen -- especially when you don't know its coming."

Clemens is in favor of leaving the park open to encourage its use by all ages. He discussed the possibility of planting trees around the edges of the park.

He is hopeful that his injured back continues to improve and has his sights set on two goals. The first is his 99th birthday. "In four months," he said. "That's not so very far away."

The second?

"I want to get back on that little John Deere tractor. I've got a lot of work that needs to be done now. It's going to be a little bit of a job getting on and off, but once I get up in that seat, then it's fun."