Loomis is small town filled with great people and big surprises. On Friday, August 1, 2008, hundreds of people attended the farewell picnic for Greg and Kathy Fellers. The scene was like something out of a magazine with 70's music floating in the background, chicken cooking on a smokey grill, potluck goodies spread out over a long table; children could be heard playing on fresh cut grass, adults laughing loudly at each others stories, and then we heard it, the shrill yet familiar sound of a fire engine rushing toward a fire, our fire: burning chicken!

The permit issue was quickly resolved when someone said we must have one somewhere, but the real reason the fire department was on the scene was to dedicate a piece of artwork entitled, "Loomis Fire Captain No.18" to Greg Fellers in recognition of his outstanding leadership and years of service on the Loomis Basin Fire District board of directors. The artwork will hang in the District's Administration Building with a brass plague honoring Greg Fellers.

Just to give you a little background, a few weeks ago I donated the artwork to the fire district and asked them to display the work in the memory of someone who championed the continuing efforts of the Loomis Basin Fire District. Little did I know they would choose Greg Fellers whose wife, Kathy, hired me to photograph the Loomis Basin Veterinary Clinic! Earlier this year Kathy saw my artwork hanging at the Wild Chicken. She contacted me and commissioned me to create three pieces of artwork as a surprise for Greg and his retired associates.

Do you remember the dedication of the new fire district administration building? On that day I was freelancing for the Loomis News and I took a few dozen photographs of the event. The helmet and jacket portrait was one of the photographs. These items were used to cover a large bronze plaque prior to its dedication to the members of our community who made the new fire district building a reality. When the plaque was revealed, the helmet and jacket were placed underneath the plague and on top of a pair of boots and overalls.

I have two uncles, now in their 70s, who retired from the Santa Ana Fire Department so I guess you can say in some small way this is a tribute to their years of unwavering service, which probably explains why I couldn’t bring myself to sell the work in spite of needing the money.

Loomis is a great place to live, especially when you meet the people who helped make our town what it is today. Greg and Kathy may be moving to Southern California, but they will never be forgotten.