News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Rory Petterson’s Eagle Scout project is a major feature of the Fir Street Park.
Rory Petterson.
A centerpiece of Sisters' new Fir Street Park went up on Saturday without a hitch.
Many hands gathered to erect a timber-frame pavilion over the stage at the park on the corner of Fir Street and Main Avenue. The structure was crafted in a Kiwanis-sponsored workshop under the tutelage of Kris Calvin of Earthwood Timber Frame Homes. The endeavor is the Eagle Scout project of Sisters Boy Scout Rory Petterson.
"Imagine having that for your Eagle Scout project," said City Manager Andrew Gorayeb as the beams were lifted into place and secured with wooden dowels. "It'll outlive you."
Petterson had approached the city for ideas for an Eagle Scout project - and the pavilion was at the top of the list. It was, however, a massive undertaking for a student and athlete who turned 16 in May.
"Rory, even, at first was overwhelmed," said his mother, Mel Petterson, who watched as her son and a crew of woodworkers worked on the structure. However, she said, the family soon came to recognize that this was an opportunity to truly excel in an Eagle Scout project.
"This is something an entire community will enjoy, and you'll be able to bring your kids back and say 'This is Dad's Eagle Scout Project,'" Mel reflected.
Rory made a model of the project on a 3D printer and worked with Calvin to organize the project.
"Kris had high expectations for Rory," Mel said.
The wood for the project came from the Earthwood Homes yard, where it has been curing for seven to 10 years, according to Calvin. He noted that the biggest timber is eight-by-14-inches by 28 feet. The curved timbers were cut out of larger material.
Kerry Bott, a skilled craftsman who participated in the workshop that created the structure, was pleased to see how smoothly things went up.
"It's really amazing how perfectly everything went together," he said. "We basically dry-fitted everything back at the shop and came out here. We haven't had to tweak a thing - it all just slips together."
City employees will put a roof on the structure, which will overhang in back to create a room for storage.
The City of Sisters was awarded the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department 2013 Local Government Grant for the design and construction of Fir Street Park. The grant awarded to the City was $206,534, which is 50 percent of the project cost. The City's funds for the project come from urban-renewal funds.
The park will include a splash play area with boulders, a performance stage and seating area, a picnic facility, family restrooms and more. Gorayeb said the City is shooting for having the park open for Quilt Show weekend.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
Reader Comments(0)