Community celebrates opening for park

Despite the chill of a typical autumn morning in Sisters, members of the community gathered for the official opening celebration of Fir Street Park on Saturday. Sisters Mayor Brad Boyd kicked off the dedication ceremony.

"This is one of the most fun moments as a mayor, to dedicate a new public place like this park, and although I usually speak quite briefly, I'm afraid I'm going to speak a little longer today, and I might get choked up. But as I look out at the list of people who need to be thanked, and acknowledged, and the coming together of community that created this park, I am just touched, moved, and proud," said Boyd, as the crowd applauded. "The city council had the courage to say that we want a park here, after hearing talk of putting in a parking lot. I think this is a higher and better use."

From the beginning, the community stepped up in many ways, from Boy Scout Rory Petterson, wanting to build the timber frame as an Eagle Scout project, to Kris Calvin of Earthwood Timber Frame Homes, helping Petterson along. There was the free architectural work and help provided by Kiwanis Club, and artistic tiles designed by Kathy Deggendorfer that were produced by Kibak Tile, and paid for with a grant from The Roundhouse Foundation. And to add to the finishing touches, Ponderosa Forge crafted a unique fire pit.

Between City staff seeking out grant funding, and the public works department and many volunteers doing the work on the ground, the vision of Fir Street Park came into being.

"This is the kind of result that we can achieve when we work and we pull together," said Boyd. "This is one of the most capable, amazing, generous small communities, I've ever had the pleasure to know."

City Manager Andrew Gorayeb pointed out that the Fir Street Park project was completed on budget, and that it involved a lot of hard work by a lot of people.

Gorayeb asked a few people to come up on the stage that were directly involved in working on the project, to thank them individually.

"I feel honored and privileged to work with Paul Bertagna (public works director) and I am not the only person who holds that opinion, he is one of the most high-integrity, hard-working, dedicated, considerate and intelligent people that I have ever had the privilege of knowing," said Gorayeb.

Catherine Childress, former Sisters City Councilor, took the honors and cut the ribbon during the dedication ceremony, alongside City officials David Asson, Wendy Holzman, and Brad Boyd.

And, it was announced that artist Paul Bennett will be crafting a metal sculpture of a tree, made out of cut aluminum with a black powder coating called "Songbirds." It will be installed as a backdrop on the pavilion stage.

Sisters Dance Academy owner Lonnie Liddel added a special opening performance for the new stage, with 12 of her dance students performing.

Sisters Eagle Airport manager Hobbs Magaret and his father David Magaret, City Parks Advisory Board member, were enjoying the warmth of the newly added firepit.

"I think this park is great, I like the location, and the splash pad is impressive, especially for the kids. I'm on the park advisory board, and we have no voting power, but I'm glad the City made its decision on what we advised, - this park," Magaret said.

A free hot dog barbecue was cooked up and served by volunteers from Sisters Park & Recreation District and Sisters Fire Chief Roger Johnson.

Jeanne Fairman, a Sisters resident and owner of Face Oasis & Body Care, was walking her labradoodle, Ranger, through the park just as the sun peeked out from behind the dark clouds.

"This is a great park, and we have been around here all summer. Ranger just loves to bite at the water. When he sees all the kids playing on the splash pad, he wants to get right out there with them," Fairman said.

The ever-popular splash pad was put to use, despite the cooler temperatures of the day. A few of the 12 dance academy students twirled their way through the water, and then warmed up by the firepit. Then a few brave little kids decided to do the same, after watching the dance students make it look so easy.