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Oracle Fire Chief Larry Southard stands with Nancy Patten and Oracle Firewise volunteer Rachel Opinsky.
By John Hernandez
Oracle Towne Crier
The Oracle Fire Department has selected the property of Nancy Patten as the 2013 Firewise Property of the Year. Nancy’s home is on Mt. Lemmon Highway next to the Oracle Historical Society Acadia Ranch Museum. The award was presented by Fire Chief Larry Southard and Rachel Opinsky, Firewise co-chairperson for Nancy’s “outstanding Firewise efforts on private property”. Nancy was honored at the Oracle fire station at the monthly Oracle Fire District Board meeting held on Tuesday, Feb. 4. The fire department and Firewise board will also be placing a sign on Nancy’s property showing that it has been selected as the Firewise Property of the Year.
“My cousins, her sons and I removed lots of metal junk in the late 80s and 90s,” said Nancy, referring to the years since she has owned the property. She said her husband Ben used to call it “Sanford and Son” before it was cleaned up. Nancy wanted to make sure that all the people who helped her clean up the brush on the property were mentioned and thanked. “They did most of the work,” she said. She thanked Michael Cline, Irene and Eddie Felix, Rosie Gonzales, Felix Casillas, Isaac Lankisch, Allan Knight, Frank Martinez, David Pullen, Jeremy Pullen and Kevin Armbrust.
There are news or informational items frequently written by staff or submitted to the Copper Basin News, San Manuel Miner, Superior Sun, Pinal Nugget or Oracle Towne Crier for inclusion in our print or digital products. These items are not credited with an author.
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